The United States has said it arrested two individuals it identified as relatives of slain Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani. However, his daughters have strongly rejected the claim, escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran. According to a statement by the US State Department, the individuals, described as Soleimani’s niece and grand-niece, were taken into custody by federal agents after their lawful permanent resident (LPR) status was revoked.The department identified one of them as Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, adding that both are currently in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Their exact location, however, was not disclosed.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered the termination of their residency status, with officials alleging that Soleimani Afshar had expressed support for Iran’s leadership and made anti-American statements on social media.The department further claimed that her husband has also been barred from entering the United States.However, the narrative was swiftly challenged by Soleimani’s family in Iran. Zeinab Soleimani, daughter of the former Quds Force commander, publicly denied any connection to the detained individuals.In a social media post cited by Iranian state media, she called the US claim “a lie” and insisted that the arrested individuals have “no relation whatsoever” to her family.Another daughter, Narjes Soleimani, who serves on Tehran’s Islamic City Council, reinforced the denial, stating that no member of their family has resided in the United States. Iranian media outlets echoed these statements, framing the US claims as politically motivated.The dispute adds another layer to the already strained relations between the two countries. Qassem Soleimani, who led the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, was killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad in January 2020, an event that sharply escalated hostilities between Washington and Tehran.In its statement, the US State Department defended its actions, saying the arrests were part of a broader effort to prevent individuals with alleged links to “anti-American regimes” from residing in the country.The department also confirmed that legal status had been revoked for other individuals connected to senior Iranian officials, including relatives of security figure Ali Larijani, who was reportedly killed in a recent Israeli strike.The conflicting claims underscore the deep mistrust between the two nations, with both sides presenting sharply divergent narratives. As diplomatic tensions simmer, the episode is likely to further complicate an already fragile geopolitical landscape in the Middle East.