US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday censured Afghanistan over its detention of American citizens, warning that Kabul could face restrictions on travel for US passport holders.
In a statement, Rubio announced that he was designating the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan as a “state sponsor of wrongful detention,” calling for the immediate release of all detained US nationals, including Mahmood Habibi and Dennis Coyle.
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“The Taliban continues to use terrorist tactics, kidnapping individuals for ransom or to seek policy concessions. These despicable tactics need to end,” Rubio said, adding that he has determined it is unsafe for Americans to travel to Afghanistan due to the risk of unjust detention.
US Secretary of State Rubio announced he has designated Afghanistan as a “State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention,” demanding Taliban authorities release two Americans and commit to ending its “hostage diplomacy.”https://t.co/XEYhk7Qno7
— Pakistan TV Digital (@PakistanTVcom) March 10, 2026
The US is also seeking the return of the remains of author Paul Overby, who went missing near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in 2014, according to sources familiar with the matter.
If Afghanistan does not comply with US demands, Washington could impose restrictions on the use of US passports for travel to the country—a measure currently applied only to North Korea.
Rubio previously issued a similar designation against Iran on February 27, under an executive order signed by former President Donald Trump. At that time, he warned of potential travel restrictions over Iran’s detention of Americans, although no such restrictions were imposed. The US and Israel launched military strikes against Iran shortly after the designation.
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The Taliban government has previously denied detaining Habibi, who had served as head of Afghanistan’s civil aviation authority. Efforts to reach Afghan authorities for comment were unsuccessful, and CBS News was the first to report on the US consideration of designating Afghanistan as a state sponsor of wrongful detention.
The designation highlights growing US concerns over the treatment of its citizens in Afghanistan and signals potential diplomatic and travel consequences if the Taliban fails to comply with US demands.