Marco Rubio Just Revealed the New Condition Iran “MUST” Comply With

Go to Article

Secretary of State Marco Rubio just laid down the gauntlet for the Iranian regime.

To begin with, the State Department made it clear that Iran “MUST” comply with the US demand that Americans detained in Iran be released.

Here’s the mechanism behind that demand, announced by the State Department on X:

That’s the first time that’s ever happened, following on the heels of an Executive Order the President signed earlier in his term, creating the designation and the system to address Americans detained for political reasons in foreign nations.

Here’s what that means — it means the United States is telling Iran to RELEASE AMERICANS that they have been holding as ‘hostages’, or else.

And judging from Rubio’s characterization of this action earlier Friday, this is undoubtedly now a key requirement for any meaningful deal between the US and Iran going forward.

The Sec. of State announced the new conditions for Iran on his social media X account.

The text of his post was lifted directly from the full statement he put out on the State Department website:

I am still a little fuzzy on whether or not this has been predicated on a RAMP UP of Iran taking American hostages — I’m thinking of Saddam Hussein’s Iraq in the lead up to various wars with the US.

Or is this primarily about bringing pressure to bear on Iran at a time when pressure is the name of the game for the Trump Administration in dealing with Iran.

I suspect it’s the latter, because if Iran had suddenly started ramping up detention of Americans… we probably would be hearing a lot more about that.

But my ear is to the ground, listening for rumblings of something more sinister as an attack on Iran seems to be more likely.

While talking about the new conditions being put on Iran, Rubio brought attention to Iran’s pattern of detaining Americans for political purposes, as reported by CNN:

The Trump administration on Friday formally designated Iran as a state sponsor of wrongful detention, the latest move to ratchet up pressure and penalize Iran for its history of imprisoning US citizens.

It is the first such designation under an executive order signed last September meant to deter countries from illegally detaining US citizens and encourage them to release wrongful detainees they have in custody.

“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. This abhorrent practice must end,” Rubio said in a statement.

Rubio warned that if Iran does not stop detaining Americans, “we will be forced to consider additional measures, including a potential 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 associated actions. We encourage it to do so. No American should travel to Iran for any reason. We reiterate our call for Americans who are currently in Iran to leave immediately,” Rubio said Friday. (Emphasis added.)

This action comes on the heels of President Trump’s State of the Union address, in which he held Iran’s feet to the fire.

And also his public comments characterizing the situation with Iran as dangerous, and not producing much positive fruit.

Likewise, Marco Rubio went after the regime yesterday, setting the stage for today’s increased pressure moves.

Check out this clip from yesterday of the Secretary of State hammering Iran for their belligerence and failure to create a constructive way forward:

All of this comes as the military hardware and airpower buildup in preparation for possible strikes against Iran continues.

President Trump gave Iran a rough time frame in which to get to a serious agreement, but that isn’t working out, according to the President and his Secretary of State.

Now, for the first time ever, advanced weapon systems are forward deployed to Israeli territory, even as Rubio ratchets up the pressure to release what he is calling American hostages — according to this from Fox News:

“When the Iranian regime seized power 47 years ago, Ayatollah Khomeini consolidated his control of power by endorsing the hostage taking of U.S. embassy staff,” Rubio wrote in a news statement. “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. This abhorrent practice must end.”

Rubio’s comments came amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran as they take part in indirect nuclear negotiations.

Trump last week gave Iran roughly 10 to 15 days to reach an agreement, warning during his State of the Union address that the urgency to make a deal was backed by force.

Trump told reporters on Friday that he is “not happy” with the way Iran is negotiating, but said he has not yet made a final decision on potential military strikes.

Eleven U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighters recently arrived at Israel’s Ovda Air Base in the country’s south, Fox News reported, marking the first-ever operational deployment of American combat aircraft to Israel.

The president noted that there is “always a risk” of long-term conflict in the Middle East.

“I guess you could say there’s always a risk,” Trump said. “You know, when there’s war, there’s a risk in anything both good and bad.”

You can read Sec. of State Rubio’s full statement from the State Department website, here:

Today, I am designating Iran as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention. When the Iranian regime seized power 47 years ago, Ayatollah Khomeini consolidated his control of power by endorsing the hostage taking of U.S. embassy staff. 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. This abhorrent practice must end.

President Trump issued an Executive Order to Protect U.S. Nationals from Wrongful Detention Abroad last fall and Congress subsequently enacted the Countering Wrongful Detention Act of 2025, authorizing the Department to designate Iran as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention. If Iran does not stop, we will be forced to consider additional measures, including a potential 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 associated actions. We encourage it to do so. No American should travel to Iran for any reason. We reiterate our call for Americans who are currently in Iran to leave immediately.

On some levels, this designation and the new conditions being set for Iran to comply with seem somewhat administrative.

A simple crossing of the t’s and dotting the i’s.

But considering the consistently practical tough stance from the Trump Administration towards Iran, I’m not seeing it that way.

This looks like a refusal to coddle the Mullahs, while Americans are sitting in Iranian prisons.

A refusal to bend the knee to those same Mullahs who are use to a lot of big talk from American administrations and no forceful action to back it up.

Ask the cartels… if the Trump Administration means what it says.

Ask Maduro.

On the flip side, if the Iranians decide to play ball and throw open the prison cells tomorrow and start releasing Americans — my guess is the Trump Administration will act in good faith.

All the while holding the Iranians to that same standard.

But in all likelihood there will be no Americans released by Iran.

They have probably figured out by now that the jig is up, even though President Trump is still trying everything he can to throw them a rope in the hopes they might just pull themselves up out of the pit they’ve dug for themselves.

But it’s far more likely they end up hanging themselves — and their country as a whole — out to dry with the rope President Trump is handing them, by the time this is all over.



Comment on this Article Via Your Disqus Account