A New Red Line and a ‘Blacklist’ Threatening Major Countries
9/6/2025 10:40:00 AM
US President Donald Trump signed a decree establishing a blacklist of countries where Americans are, according to Washington, unjustly detained. The measure imposes strict sanctions on the officials involved.
This list is inspired by the US State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism, which carries financial sanctions on designated countries. The Trump administration has not yet officially announced which countries may be included, but a senior official said that China, Iran, and Afghanistan could be among them due to their “repeated involvement in hostage diplomacy.”
The official, who requested anonymity, said: “Today we are drawing a clear line: you cannot use Americans as bargaining chips, or you will face severe consequences.”
Under the new decree, targeted countries will face sanctions, and officials involved in detentions will be barred from entering the United States. The decree also authorizes the State Department to ban American citizens from traveling to countries on the list.
At present, Washington already bans its citizens from traveling to North Korea, a decision made after the case of Otto Warmbier, the student who was detained for a year and a half before being released in a coma and handed over to the United States. He died six days after his return.
This list is inspired by the US State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism, which carries financial sanctions on designated countries. The Trump administration has not yet officially announced which countries may be included, but a senior official said that China, Iran, and Afghanistan could be among them due to their “repeated involvement in hostage diplomacy.”
The official, who requested anonymity, said: “Today we are drawing a clear line: you cannot use Americans as bargaining chips, or you will face severe consequences.”
Under the new decree, targeted countries will face sanctions, and officials involved in detentions will be barred from entering the United States. The decree also authorizes the State Department to ban American citizens from traveling to countries on the list.
At present, Washington already bans its citizens from traveling to North Korea, a decision made after the case of Otto Warmbier, the student who was detained for a year and a half before being released in a coma and handed over to the United States. He died six days after his return.