Kamran Hekmati, a Jewish Iranian American jeweler from Long Island, has been designated as wrongfully detained by the United States government after being held in Iran since last year. Hekmati traveled to Iran to visit family but was later imprisoned in Evin Prison. He is believed to be one of roughly half a dozen Americans currently detained in the country.

According to his family, Iranian authorities jailed him after he traveled to Israel for his son's bar mitzvah. His cousin said the designation formally recognizes that he is being held on false charges in an effort to pressure the United States government.

With the new designation, oversight of his case shifts to the Special Presidential Office of Hostage Affairs, which serves as the government's lead office for hostage negotiations. His family said the move reassures them that the government is committed to securing his safe return.