U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. File | Photo Credit: Reuters U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday (February 27, 2026) he has designated Iran as a state sponsor of wrongful detention. “The Iranian regime must stop taking hostages and release all Americans unjustly detained in Iran, steps that could end this designation and associated actions,” Mr. Rubio said in a statement. The move comes as tensions mount between the U.S. and Iran, even as the two countries conducted talks over Iran’s nuclear program on Thursday. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday (February 27) he was disappointed with the negotiations, warning, “sometimes you have to use force.” Published – February 28, 2026 03:12 am IST Share this: Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email More Click to print (Opens in new window) Print Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon Click to share on Nextdoor (Opens in new window) Nextdoor Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky Like this:Like Loading... Post navigation West Bengal BJP to begin ‘Parviartan Yatra’ from Saturday Japan will connect Northeast India to the Bay of Bengal: Dy Foreign Minister Horii Iwao