Rubio designates Iranian-American Kamran Hekmati as wrongfully detained by Iran, cousin says

Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a working lunch at the Shield of the Americas Summit at Trump National Doral Miami, in Doral, Florida, U.S., March 7, 2026. (Rebecca Blackwell/Pool via REUTERS)

WASHINGTON, March 16 (Reuters) - Secretary of State Marco Rubio has designated as wrongfully detained in Iran 61-year-old Iranian-American Kamran Hekmati, his cousin said on Monday.

"This designation is an official recognition by the U.S. Government that Kamran is being held on false charges in an effort by the Iranians to leverage the U.S. Government," Shohreh Nowfar said in a statement.

(Reporting by Jonathan Landay; Editing by Chris Reese)