US authorities arrest relatives of slain Iranian general Qassem Soleimani for alleged ties to terror regime, revoking their permanent resident status.
Qassem Soleimani, the late Iranian military commander, was a highly influential figure in the Middle East until his death in a 2020 US drone strike. Now, two of his closest relatives living in the US have been arrested by federal authorities, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing tensions between Washington and Tehran.
According to the US State Department, Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, Soleimani's niece, and her daughter were taken into custody by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after Marco Rubio, a top US diplomat, revoked their lawful permanent resident status. The State Department accused the pair of celebrating attacks against US soldiers and maintaining ties to Iran's terror regime.
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The arrests come as the Biden administration continues to take a hardline stance against Iran, particularly in the wake of the 2020 killing of Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of Iran's elite Quds Force. Soleimani was a pivotal figure in Iran's regional influence and was believed to be responsible for the deaths of numerous US troops in the Middle East.
The State Department's statement did not provide specific details on the nature of Afshar and her daughter's alleged ties to Iran's terror activities. However, the move signals a clear message from Washington that it will not tolerate any perceived threats or connections to Iran's regime, even among the family members of high-profile Iranian figures.
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The arrests have sparked outrage from Iran, which has long condemned the killing of Soleimani as an illegal and unjustified act of US aggression. Tehran has vowed to pursue legal action and continue its support for the Soleimani family, further escalating the ongoing tensions between the two countries.
As the US-Iran standoff continues, the arrest of Soleimani's relatives underscores the lengths the Biden administration is willing to go to counter Iranian influence and perceived threats, even targeting the family members of the country's most prominent military figures.
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The implications of these arrests remain to be seen, but they undoubtedly mark a significant escalation in the geopolitical conflict between the United States and Iran, with the Soleimani family now bearing the brunt of Washington's hardline approach towards the Islamic Republic.
Source: The Guardian
