Secretary of State Marco Rubio urges Americans to leave Iran ‘immediately’

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday named Iran as a state sponsor of wrongful detention, calling on Americans currently in Iran to “leave immediately.”

“When the Iranian regime took power 47 years ago, Ayatollah Khomeini consolidated his control of power by approving the taking of U.S. Embassy personnel hostage,” Rubio wrote in a statement. “For decades, Iran has continued to cruelly detain innocent Americans, as well as citizens of other countries, to use as political leverage against other states. This heinous practice must stop.

“President Trump issued an executive order last fall to protect U.S. persons from wrongful detention abroad, and Congress subsequently enacted the Wrongful Detention Act of 2025, authorizing the Department to designate Iran as a state sponsor of wrongful detention,” he added.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday asked Americans currently in Iran “to leave immediately.” (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Rubio said that if Iran does not stop, the United States will be forced to consider “additional measures,” including a possible geographic travel restriction on the use of U.S. passports to, through or from Iran.

“The Iranian regime must stop taking hostages and release all Americans unjustly detained in Iran, steps that could end this designation and related actions. We encourage it to do so,” he continued. “No American should travel to Iran for any reason. We reiterate our call for Americans currently in Iran to leave immediately.”

This is a developing story. Please check again for updates.