OAN Staff Nathaniel Mannor
3:20 PM – Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has unveiled visa restrictions for 18 Iranian government officials.
In a statement on Wednesday, Rubio explained that the visa restrictions are in response to the government shutting off internet access for their citizens.
Rubio said that this prevents Iranians from documenting abuses as anti-government protests continue across the nation.
“The regime-imposed a near-total nationwide internet shutdown, unprecedented in scope and duration, that severely restricted independent documentation of abuses and cut Iranians off from the world,” the press release stated. “Even today, the regime continues to restrict the ability of Iranians to exercise their basic freedoms.”
President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned Iran if they continue to restrict basic freedoms for their people he could authorize another round of strikes.
Rubio said the U.S. will continue to stand with the people of Iran as they fight for freedom.
“The United States will continue to stand with the right of the Iranian people to free expression. We reaffirm our unwavering support for Iranians and their demand for peace and dignity,” the press release continued. “We will continue to use all tools available to expose and promote accountability for the abuses by Iranian regime officials and other individuals.”
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