Rubio Revokes Visas and Green Cards of Iranian Nationals Amid Escalating Tensions
In a significant diplomatic move, the Trump administration has revoked the green cards or U.S. visas of at least four Iranian nationals with connections to the current or former Iranian government. This action includes two individuals who have been detained by immigration authorities and are now facing deportation proceedings.
State Department Confirms Arrests and Revocations
Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined this week that these individuals were no longer eligible for lawful permanent resident status or entry into the United States. This follows a similar action taken late last year, when visas for several diplomats and staffers at Iran's mission to the United Nations were also rescinded.
In a statement released on Saturday, the State Department confirmed that Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, the niece of Qassem Soleimani – the former Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps chief killed in a 2020 U.S. airstrike – and her daughter were arrested late Friday by immigration agents. Their green cards had been revoked by Rubio prior to the arrest.
"Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter are now in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement," the statement read, noting that Afshar's husband has also been banned from entering the United States.
Allegations of Support for Iranian Regime
According to the State Department, Afshar and her daughter had been living a "lavish lifestyle" in Los Angeles for many years while publicly supporting the Iranian government and anti-American attacks. Rubio emphasized this point in a post on X, stating that she is "an outspoken supporter of the Iranian regime who celebrated attacks on Americans and referred to our country as the 'Great Satan.'"
Rubio added, "The Trump administration will not allow our country to become a home for foreign nationals who support anti-American terrorist regimes." The Iranian mission to the U.N. had no comment on Saturday regarding these developments.
Broader Pattern of Visa Revocations
Afshar and her daughter represent just the latest Iranians to have their legal status in the U.S. rescinded by Rubio. Recently, he revoked the visas of Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, an academic and daughter of Iran's former national security adviser Ali Larijani, who was killed in a U.S.-Israel airstrike last month. Her husband, Seyed Kalantar Motamedi, also had his visa revoked, according to the State Department. Neither individual is currently in the U.S.
This pattern extends back to early December, well before the surge of anti-government protests in Iran and the onset of the current war. At that time, the State Department revoked or declined to renew visas for several Iranian diplomats, including the deputy ambassador, and staffers at Iran's mission to the United Nations.
The department clarified on Friday that this earlier action was taken on December 4 but declined to provide further details "for privacy and security reasons." It was noted that this move was unrelated to either the protests or the war, highlighting a consistent policy approach under the current administration.
