Authorities in the United States have arrested two relatives of slain Iranian military commander, Qassem Soleimani, after revoking their residency status, the State Department confirmed on Saturday.

According to the department, the arrests followed a decision by Secretary of State Marco Rubio to terminate their lawful permanent resident status. The individuals detained are Soleimani’s niece, Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, and her daughter, whose name was not disclosed.

Both individuals are currently in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, although officials did not reveal their location.

In its statement, the State Department described Soleimani Afshar as a vocal supporter of the Iranian government, citing public statements and social media activity. It alleged that she had expressed support for Iran’s leadership, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and had criticised the United States.

The agency also disclosed that Soleimani Afshar’s husband has been barred from entering the country.

Additionally, US authorities said they had taken similar action against relatives of another Iranian official, Ali Larijani. The daughter and son-in-law of Larijani, who was recently killed in an Israeli strike, have had their legal status revoked and are no longer in the United States.

Soleimani, who headed the foreign operations arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad in January 2020 during the administration of former President Donald Trump.

Commenting on the development, Rubio stated that the US government would not permit individuals with links to regimes it considers hostile to remain in the country.