By Olivia Gazis and Camilla Schick
Updated on: February 28, 2026 / 3:53 AM EST / CBS News
Ahead of a decision to launch military strikes on Iran, the Trump administration on Friday formally designated Iran as a state sponsor of wrongful detention.
The designation, announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, invokes authorities created by an executive order signed in September that expanded U.S. powers to punish countries accused of detaining Americans for political leverage. This is the first time a country has been officially labeled under that framework.
“For decades, Iran has continued to cruelly detain innocent Americans, as well as citizens of other nations, to use as political leverage against other states,” Rubio said. “This abhorrent practice must end.”
Under the order, Rubio can impose measures including economic sanctions, export controls and visa restrictions on individuals or entities linked to wrongful detention policies. The tools are modeled in part on those used in terrorism-related designations but are legally distinct. The United States has already listed Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism since 1984.
The executive order also authorizes travel restrictions on U.S. passport holders — potentially limiting or banning travel to countries designated as sponsors of wrongful detention. Officials have said travel authorities are among the most powerful deterrents, intended to protect Americans from high-risk environments and pressure governments that detain U.S. nationals.
Restricting travel to Iran could create barriers similar to those in place for North Korea, where U.S. passports require special validation for travel.
“The Iranian regime must stop taking hostage and release all Americans unjustly detained in Iran, steps that could end this designation and associated actions,” Rubio added.
The Iranian diaspora in the United States is estimated at more than 600,000, according to the UCLA Center for Near East Studies — a population that could be significantly affected by expanded travel restrictions.
The move comes amid high-profile detention cases. One is the case of Reza Valizadeh, an Iranian-American journalist recently detained in Iran under circumstances U.S. officials and advocates say reflect politically motivated arrests. Valizadeh is among at least four Iranian-Americans believed held in Iran, including 70-year-old Kamran Hekmati and at least one other woman in her seventies, sources told CBS News.
U.S. officials are also weighing applying the label to Afghanistan, which is known to be holding at least two American citizens.
Margaret Brennan contributed to this report.
