US Designates Iran as State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention, Urges Americans to Leave

The US State Department designated Iran as a "State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention," with Secretary of State Marco Rubio accusing Tehran of detaining Americans and other foreign nationals for political leverage since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Rubio urged US citizens to avoid travel to Iran and called for the immediate release of unjustly detained Americans. The designation follows an executive order and legislation aimed at protecting US nationals abroad and may lead to travel restrictions if Iran does not change its practices amid ongoing US-Iran tensions.