Washington: The US has revoked the legal residency status of two relatives of slain Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Qasem Soleimani, detaining them in the process, the State Department announced on Saturday.

According to Anadolu Agency, Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered the termination of lawful permanent resident status for Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, identified as Soleimani's niece, and her daughter. Both were subsequently detained and are currently in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The department specified that Afshar had expressed support for Iran's leadership and the IRGC, which the US designates as a terrorist organization. It also highlighted her social media activity, alleging that she promoted Iranian government messaging and praised attacks on US personnel and military facilities in the Middle East.

US officials further stated that Afshar's husband has been barred from entering the country.

In a related measure earlier this month, Rubio also revoked the legal status of Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, the daughter of former Iranian National Security Council secretary Ali Larijani, and her husband Seyed Kalantar Motamedi. Both have since left the US and are prohibited from reentry, according to the statement.

The department emphasized that these actions were conducted in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security and ICE, asserting that the administration would not permit individuals who support groups described as anti-American terrorist regimes to reside in the US.

These actions occur amid the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran, which is now in its second month.

According to Iran's Foreign Ministry, the US holds "definitive international responsibility" for the January 2020 assassination of Soleimani and his associates in a drone strike outside Baghdad Airport.