U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested Sarinasadat Hosseiny, the 25-year-old grand-niece of deceased Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani. Hosseiny and her mother, Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, were taken into custody after their U.S. permanent resident status was rescinded, reportedly due to alleged ties to the Iranian government.
Hosseiny had been residing in the United States since 2015, initially entering on a student visa before obtaining permanent residency in 2023 during the Biden administration. Despite her family's prominent role within the Iranian regime, social media posts attributed to Hosseiny depicted a lavish lifestyle in Los Angeles.
Her online presence showcased extensive travel across the U.S., including visits to Miami, Las Vegas, and Alaska, as well as appearances at music festivals. Images also depicted her on private jets and yachts, and wearing attire such as bikinis and miniskirts, which would be considered contrary to Iranian law.
According to reports, Hosseiny's mother, Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, had previously made disparaging remarks about America online, referring to it as the "Great Satan," and had expressed support for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which the U.S. State Department designates as a terrorist organization.
Both women's green cards were reportedly revoked just hours before their arrest by ICE in Los Angeles on Friday, April 3rd. Qasem Soleimani led Iran’s elite Quds Force, a branch of the IRGC, and was a significant military figure until his death in a U.S. drone strike in 2020.
The arrests are reportedly part of a wider U.S. initiative to address individuals with alleged connections to Iran. Soleimani Afshar had initially entered the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2015, was granted asylum in 2019, and received a green card in 2021. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has indicated that her asylum claim was based on fraudulent grounds.
The IRGC, which Hosseiny's mother allegedly supported, was officially designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States in 2019. In response to the arrests, Narjes Soleimani, the daughter of the former commander, has stated that the detained women have no association with her father and has accused Washington of fabricating the allegations.
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