The United States on Friday categorized Iran as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention as the Trump administration continues to ramp up pressure against the Islamic Republic.
Announcing the designation, Secretary of State, Marco Rubio decried how Iran has, for decades, detained innocent Americans and other nationals to use as political leverage against other states.
Rubio said when the Iranian regime seized power 47 years ago, the leader Ayatollah Khomeini “consolidated his control of power by endorsing the hostage taking of U.S. embassy staff.”
Last September, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order to Protect U.S. Nationals from Wrongful Detention Abroad, after which Congress enacted the Countering Wrongful Detention Act of 2025.
The State Department said the conditions for lifting Iran’s designation and associated actions include the release of Americans unjustly detained and the cessation of arbitrary incarceration.
Rubio warned Tehran that additional measures will be considered, “including a potential geographic travel restriction on the use of U.S. passports to, through, or from Iran,” if unlawful detention persists.
“No American should travel to Iran for any reason,” the Secretary advised. “We reiterate our call for Americans who are currently in Iran to leave immediately.”
Amid escalating tensions, the U.S. has deployed military assets in the Middle East near Iran, including the USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike groups, over 140 aircraft, refueling tankers, and special forces.
From March 2-3, Rubio will travel to Israel, where he will discuss a range of regional priorities—Iran, Lebanon, and ongoing efforts to implement President Trump’s 20-Point Peace Plan for Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently disclosed that he expressed skepticism regarding any agreement with Iran during his meeting with President Trump in Washington because “they lie and they cheat.”
Speaking in Jerusalem at the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish organizations, Netanyahu said a deal with Iran should have components that are important for the security of Israel, the region, and the world.
“The first, all enriched material has to leave Iran; the second, there shall be no enrichment capability; the third is to deal with the questions of ballistic missiles, and the fourth is to dismantle the axis of terror Iran has built,” he stated.
US designates Iran as State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention
