Rubio Zeroes in on Iran, Shreds ‘Hostage Diplomacy’ During ‘Hostage and Wrongful Detainee’ Ceremony – RedState
With the Iranian conflict at the forefront of concerns, Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a speech at the State Department on Monday in which he emphasized what he called “hostage diplomacy,” declaring that the Iranian regime is “the leading hostage-taker in the world, the leading sponsor of terrorism in the world.”
In remarks made at the department’s “Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Flag Raising Ceremony,” Rubio said Iran’s actions since the start of the strikes once again prove the points the United States has made about the threat it poses to the region and the world:
I think we are all aware at this moment of the threat that this regime of the mullahs poses to the region and to the world. They are trying to take the world hostage. They attack their neighbors. They attack neighboring countries, their energy infrastructure, their civilian population. They attack embassies. It is a terrorist government. It is a terrorist regime. And we see them carrying out terrorist activities using elements of nation states, using weapons like missiles and one-way attack drones. And the goal of this mission is to destroy their ability to continue to do that, and we are well on our way to achieving that goal. Every day – with overwhelming force and precision – the Army, the United States Army, the men and women in uniform conduct an extraordinary operation.
Monday’s rally was held on the 19th anniversary of Robert Levinson’s disappearance in Iran. Levinson served in the FBI as a special agent for 22 years. His sons, Dan and Doug, were present at Rubio’s speech.
SEE ALSO: Rubio shines in viral remarks at ‘Shield of the Americas’ meeting while Trump hints at big news coming on Cuba
Rubio also noted that since Trump’s inauguration, “more than 100 Americans have been repatriated.” And while this is undoubtedly good news, Rubio said President Trump’s goal is to stop these things before they happen:
But the president isn’t just focused on reunions. It also strives to end the cycle of exploitation, of saying enough is enough, of ending the cycle in which Americans are somehow seen as a valuable commodity, where one can seize an American, detain them unjustly, and then try to trade them later for a diplomatic or political concession. We must end this cycle. We have to — we have to make sure that Americans are no longer seen as targets of opportunity around the world, and — and nation states and terrorist regimes like Iran know that there are consequences to that.
This is why the classification “State Responsible for Wrongful Detention” was created, he observed:
And that’s why we created the designation State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention, essentially designating governments and entities that use it specifically as a tool of leverage to their advantage and to our detriment. They view Americans as a commodity that they can grab and then trade in the future. This cycle must stop, and that is why this designation now exists. And that’s why we – the first country, I believe, that we designated, right, under this authority on February 27 was this clerical, terrorist regime in Iran. Because when it comes to hostage-taking, there has been no worse culprit in the world than the mullahs’ regime in Tehran. They are the worst offenders in the world of terrorism and they have been the worst offenders in the world of hostage taking, since their very beginnings. So that was our first designation.
In conclusion, Rubio said that “the message will be very clear: the United States will not tolerate hostage diplomacy. They will not tolerate – we will not – we will continue to hold this regime – and every other regime that engages in it – accountable for these practices.
Later, on X, Rubio named Afghanistan a state sponsor of wrongful detention:
Today, I designate Afghanistan as a state sponsor of wrongful detention. The Taliban continues to use terrorist tactics to gain political concessions, but that won’t work under this administration. The Taliban must unjustly release Dennis Coyle, Mahmood Habibi and all Americans…
– Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) March 9, 2026
Rubio’s full speech can be read here and/or viewed below.
WATCH: Secretary Rubio delivers remarks at the U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Flag Raising Ceremony at the State Department. https://t.co/xRGPjOgZKR
– State Department (@StateDept) March 9, 2026
Editor’s note: Thanks to President Trump and the bold leadership of his administration, we are respected on the world stage and our enemies are put on notice.
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