U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the United States has revoked the lawful permanent resident status of three Iranian nationals linked to Masoumeh Ebtekar. The individuals—Seyed Eissa Hashemi, Maryam Tahmasebi, and their son—were taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and are currently awaiting removal proceedings, according to a State Department statement.
Ebtekar was known for her role during the Iran hostage crisis, where she served as a spokesperson for the militants who held American diplomats captive. U.S. officials have long criticized her involvement in the incident, which lasted 444 days and remains a defining moment in U.S.-Iran relations. She later held senior roles in Iran’s government, including serving as vice president.
According to officials, the three individuals entered the United States in 2014 and were granted permanent residency through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program in 2016. Their status has now been revoked as part of a broader effort by the administration to review immigration cases involving individuals with alleged ties to controversial or hostile foreign actors.
In a public statement, Rubio said the move reflects a broader policy position that individuals connected to anti-American activities should not benefit from residency in the United States. The announcement follows similar recent actions targeting relatives of other Iranian officials, signaling a stricter approach to immigration enforcement in cases involving national security concerns.
