The US Congress has started probing why the Biden administration granted visa to an Iranian actor who is reportedly close to the country’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC).

According to a letter obtained by the Washington Free Beacon, Indiana’s Republican member of the House Armed Services Committee, Jim Banks, has asked the administration for explanation about the visa to Parviz Parastui (Parastouei), saying he has an "overt connection" to the IRGC and the former commander of its Qods (Quds) force Ghasem Soleimani.

“Parastui has been directly involved in IRGC funded propaganda projects, promoting a hardliner ideology that seeks to shape Iran’s culture to the agenda of the Iranian regime”, the letter read.

During a film screening event in Los Angeles late last month that was organized by the far-left anti-Israel group Code Pink, Parastouei was caught on camera during a row with an Iranian dissident.

Before the event, Sam Rajabi, a former judoka champion who now lives in the US, insisted that Parastui explain his relationship with Soleimani, while filming him on his mobile phone. Parastoueire refused to respond, and the encounter ended in Parastui knocking the mobile out of Rajabi's hand. The video taken by Rajabi went viral on social media with hundreds commenting in support of or against Parastui.

Code Pink introduces itself as a women-led grassroots organization "working to end US wars and militarism" and supporter of peace and human rights initiatives. Code Pink condemns US sanctions on Iran.