TEHRAN - The family of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani has rejected US claims that two Iranian women recently detained in the United States are related to the late commander.

US officials said federal agents arrested Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter after Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked their lawful permanent resident status. The mother and daughter are reportedly facing removal proceedings.

In a statement, Rubio alleged that the two women were the niece and grandniece of General Soleimani and claimed they had been “living lavishly in the United States.”

Two daughters of martyr Soleimani strongly denied the allegation.

Zeinab Soleimani said, “The US State Department’s claim is false. The individuals arrested in the United States have no connection whatsoever to our family.”

Narjes Soleimani also rejected the accusation, stating, “To this day, no member of the Soleimani family, nor any relative of General Soleimani, has resided in the United States.”

General Soleimani, who commanded the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps, was assassinated in a US drone strike in Baghdad in January 2020 during the presidency of Donald Trump. He played a key role in coordinating regional efforts that led to the defeat of the ISIL terror group in Iraq and Syria. He is hailed as an anti-terror icon in the West Asia region.