U.S. Designates Iranian-American Citizen as Wrongfully Detained by Iran

Kamran Hekmati, a Jewish Iranian-American jeweler, has been imprisoned in Iran for nearly a year on false charges.

Mar. 17, 2026 at 9:39am

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The U.S. government has officially designated Kamran Hekmati, an Iranian-American citizen imprisoned in Iran for nearly a year, as wrongfully detained. Hekmati, a jeweler and longtime resident of Great Neck, New York, was detained by Iranian authorities in May 2026 while attempting to return to the U.S. after a family visit. He was formally arrested in July, shortly after the U.S. bombed Iran's nuclear facilities, and charged with allegedly visiting Israel within the last 10 years based on photos found on his phone.

Why it matters

The designation of Hekmati as a wrongfully detained American citizen by the U.S. government puts pressure on Iran to release him and highlights the growing tensions between the U.S. and Iran, with Iran often using the detention of dual-national citizens as political leverage.

The details

Hekmati, a bladder cancer survivor, was sentenced to two years in Iran's notorious Evin Prison. Advocates say the trip to Israel he was accused of taking actually occurred 13 years ago, for his son's bar mitzvah. Iranian authorities later charged him again in December as tensions rose in the Middle East, accusing him of meeting with agents of Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency.

  • Hekmati was detained by Iranian authorities at Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport on May 17, 2026.
  • Hekmati was formally arrested on July 28, 2026, less than two weeks after the United States bombed Iran's nuclear facilities.
  • Hekmati was charged again by Iran in December 2026 as tensions rose in the Middle East.

The players

Kamran Hekmati

A Jewish Iranian-American jeweler and longtime resident of Great Neck, New York, who was detained by Iranian authorities while attempting to return to the United States after a family visit.

Marco Rubio

The U.S. Secretary of State who designated Kamran Hekmati as wrongfully detained by Iran.

Donald Trump

The former U.S. President whose administration bombed Iran's nuclear facilities, leading to Hekmati's arrest and charges.

Shohreh Nowfar

Kamran Hekmati's cousin, who expressed gratitude for the U.S. government's designation of Hekmati as a wrongfully detained American citizen.

Reza Valizadeh

An Iranian-American journalist who was also officially designated as wrongfully detained by Iran in May.

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What they’re saying

“We are so grateful to President [Donald] Trump and Secretary Rubio for their designation of Kamran Hekmati as a wrongful detainee. It reassures us that our government has our back in the effort to get Kamran home safely.”

— Shohreh Nowfar, Kamran Hekmati's cousin

What’s next

The judge in Hekmati's case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow him out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran, with Iran often using the detention of dual-national citizens as political leverage. The U.S. government's designation of Hekmati as wrongfully detained puts pressure on Iran to release him and demonstrates the administration's commitment to securing the release of Americans imprisoned abroad.