Iranians-Americans issue chilling warning to U.S. as they celebrate deportation of regime offspring

Some Iranians are welcoming the recent cancellation of visas for relatives of Iran’s ruling regime who had been living comfortably in the United States. However, activists say the seven people deported so far represent only a small portion of those they believe are connected to the government in Tehran.

Journalist and activist Shayan Khosravanifarahani praised Secretary of State Marco Rubio for targeting individuals with links to the regime. He told The Post that many of them have enjoyed safe and comfortable lives in the United States while benefiting from wealth he says was taken from the Iranian public. According to Khosravanifarahani, relatives of Iranian officials have been using life in America to promote the regime’s messaging, lobby politically, pursue education, and live far more freely than ordinary Iranians.

Rubio revoked the green card of Seyed Eissa Hashemi on Saturday. Hashemi works as an adjunct associate professor at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and is the son of Masoumeh Ebtekar, a prominent Iranian political figure known for her role as a spokesperson during the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Federal authorities also canceled the green cards of Hashemi’s wife, Maryam Tahmasebi, a psychology professor, and their son.

Shayan Khosravanifarahani holding a historical Iranian flag at a protest. — Shayan Khosravanifarahani, a journalist and activist, praised State Secretary Marco Rubio for arresting and deporting Iranians living in America who have ties to the Islamic regime. CA Post

The arrests came just days after The Post reported that the family was living in an upscale apartment complex in Agoura Hills known as The Avalon.

The move followed another recent deportation. Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, 47, and Sarinasadat Hosseiny, 25—relatives of the late Iranian military commander Gen. Qasem Soleimani—were removed from the United States after living in the country for several years.

Khosravanifarahani said he worked with other activists for about two months to collect information on individuals they believed had ties to the Iranian government. That information was later provided to federal authorities and helped identify both Hashemi and Afshar. He explained that activists realized online criticism alone would not lead to action, so they began gathering documentation and contacting officials. In Afshar’s case, he said her sister provided documents that helped confirm her identity.

ICE agents nabbed Seyed Eissa Hashemi, his psychology professor wife, Maryam Tahmasebi, and their son this week as federal officials plan to remove them from the US, citing their connections to a notorious figure from the Iran hostage crisis.

Eissa Hashemi (left) and Masoumeh Ebtekar. — Hashemi’s psychology professor wife, Maryam Tahmasebi, along with their son, also had their green cards yanked by federal officials. Eissa Hashemi

According to Khosravanifarahani, Afshar’s sister opposed her political views and decided to cooperate with activists. He said that disagreement within the family played a role in revealing Afshar’s background.

Khosravanifarahani, who was born in Iran and moved to the United States at age 14, believes many more individuals with connections to Iran’s leadership may still be living in the country. He warned that some could pose national security concerns.

He argued that certain individuals with regime ties could potentially act as sleeper agents if directed to do so in the future. Because of that risk, he said the efforts by the Department of Homeland Security and immigration authorities to deport them are justified.

Shayan Khosravanifarahani holding a large Iranian flag while a photographer kneels and takes a photo of him, all in a street surrounded by tall buildings. — Khosravanifarahani told The Post there are “thousands” of Iranians living in America with ties to the Islamic regime. CA Post

Morgan Mahdizadeh, an Iranian-American grassroots activist, shared similar concerns. She said some people connected to the regime may be in the United States to influence policy decisions or gain access to sensitive technology.

Mahdizadeh said she and others in the Iranian-American community have been raising alarms for years about the presence of individuals linked to the government in Tehran. She criticized previous leadership for not taking the issue seriously but said she is encouraged by the actions now being taken by the Trump administration. In her view, the recent deportations are only the beginning.

Mojgan Mahdizadeh holding a sign with a portrait of Reza Pahlavi at a protest. — Iranian-American and grassroots activist Morgan Mahdizadeh said she has been sounding the alarm for years about Iranians with ties to the terrorist regime living in the US but was ignored. CA Post

Mahdizadeh left Iran when she was 27 and said living there helped her understand the level of repression faced by ordinary citizens. She said she hopes to use the freedom she has found in the United States to speak on behalf of Iranians who cannot safely voice their opposition.

Khosravanifarahani also emphasized the importance of separating ordinary members of the Iranian diaspora from those connected to the ruling government. Many Iranian-Americans, he said, hope to one day return to a free Iran. At the same time, he argued that individuals who are in the United States to promote or support the regime should be identified and held accountable.

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