The United States has formally designated Iran as a “State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention,” with Secretary of State Marco Rubio accusing Tehran of repeatedly imprisoning foreign nationals to gain political
leverage.
In a post on X, Rubio mentioned, “Today I designated Iran as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention. For decades, the Iranian regime has cruelly detained innocent Americans and citizens of other nations to use as political leverage.”
“Iran must end this abhorrent practice and immediately free all unjustly detained Americans,” he wrote.
The move marks the first designation under a new blacklist created by the United States targeting countries accused of wrongful detention practices.
The step comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran and could eventually lead to restrictions, such as invalidating US passports for travel to Iran if progress is not made.
Rubio warned Iran must stop detaining Americans and release those held unjustly, adding that such steps could lead to the removal of the designation and related measures.
Today I designated Iran as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention. For decades the Iranian regime has cruelly detained innocent Americans and citizens of other nations to use as political leverage. Iran must end this abhorrent practice and immediately free all unjustly detained…
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) February 27, 2026
Iran has detained several Americans in recent years, often dual nationals whom Tehran considers Iranian citizens under its legal framework.
The designation itself does not automatically impose penalties but signals potential future actions by Washington.
Following Rubio’s announcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation also issued a statement on X emphasising ongoing efforts to bring detained Americans home.
The FBI wrote, “Today, the U.S. has designated Iran as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention. The FBI remains committed to working with our federal and international partners to return Americans who are being held captive home and bring their captors to justice.”
The agency added that the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell (HRFC) coordinates government-wide efforts to recover Americans held abroad and provides support to hostages and their families during and after release.
Today, the U.S. has designated Iran as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention. The #FBI remains committed to working with our federal and international partners to return Americans who are being held captive home and bring their captors to justice. The Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell… pic.twitter.com/fRCnyXutsA
— FBI (@FBI) February 27, 2026
MOVE COMES AMID ESCALATING NUCLEAR DISPUTE
The designation comes as tensions between the United States and Iran remain high over Tehran’s nuclear program and ongoing diplomatic negotiations.
Donald Trump said he was “not happy” with the latest round of indirect nuclear talks with Iran held in Geneva but indicated negotiators would be given more time to reach a deal aimed at avoiding another conflict in the Middle East.
“We’re not exactly happy with the way they’re negotiating. They cannot have nuclear weapons,” Trump told reporters, reiterating Washington’s position that Iran should not be allowed to enrich uranium.
Iran, however, maintains that its nuclear program is intended for peaceful purposes and denies seeking nuclear weapons.
The tensions have been accompanied by increased US military deployments in the region and warnings of possible military action if negotiations fail.
Iran has said it would respond to any strike by targeting American forces in the Middle East.
AFP noted that Iran is the first country placed on the wrongful detention blacklist created through an executive order signed by Trump in September.
The framework mirrors other US designation systems used to apply diplomatic pressure on governments.
