Visa Restrictions on Chilean Nationals Undermining Regional Security The United States is committed to countering attempts to undermine regional security and subvert sovereignty.  Today, the Department of State is announcing it has taken steps to impose visa restrictions on three Chilean government officials who knowingly directed, authorized, funded, provided significant support to, and/or carried out activities that compromised critical telecommunications infrastructure and

Targeting Paramilitary Commanders Committing Atrocities in Sudan Today, the United States is sanctioning Elfateh Abdullah Idris Adam, Gedo Hamdan Ahmed Mohamed, and Tijani Ibrahim Moussa Mohamed of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group whose members have committed genocide in Sudan. The RSF has perpetrated atrocities during the almost three-year conflict in Sudan. The RSF and allied militias engaged in a campaign of widespread killings, torture, and sexual viol

Imposition of Visa Restrictions on Uzbekistanis Facilitating Illegal Immigration to the United States The Department of State has taken steps to impose visa restrictions on individuals in Uzbekistan identified as knowingly facilitating illegal immigration to our nation. This action applies to executives and senior officials at two Uzbekistan-based visa facilitation companies who knowingly provided travel services designed primarily for aliens intending to illegally immigrate

Announcement of Additional Visa Restriction Targets for Individuals Involved in Inhibiting Iranians’ Rights to Freedom of Expression During Iran’s nationwide protests in December and January 2025, the Iranian regime has unleashed violence and repression against tens of thousands of peaceful demonstrators. The regime imposed a near-total nationwide internet shutdown, unprecedented in scope and duration, that severely restricted independent documentation of abuses and cut Irani

United States and Mauritius to Hold Bilateral Discussions From February 23–25, the United States and Mauritius will hold discussions in Port Louis led by the Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, with participation from across the U.S. interagency. These discussions underscore the continued importance of the Chagos archipelago and the joint U.S.-UK base on Diego Garcia to our national security. The discussions will focus on bilateral security cooperation

Joint Statement on the Philippines-United States Bilateral Strategic Dialogue On 16 February 2026, senior officials of the Republic of the Philippines and the United States of America met in Manila for the 12th Philippines-United States Bilateral Strategic Dialogue (BSD).  First convened in 2011, the BSD serves as the annual platform to discuss the full range of political, security, and economic cooperation between the United States and the Philippines; exchange views on curr

DHS Terminates Temporary Protected Status for Yemen Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem today announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status for Yemen. The termination is effective 60 days after the notice is published in the Federal Register. Yemen was initially designated for Temporary Protected Status on Sept. 3, 2015, based on a determination that there was an ongoing armed conflict and that, due to that conflict, requiring nationals of Yemen to return wou

Sanctioning Hizballah Finance Operatives Today, the United States is sanctioning Hizballah operatives who continue to exploit Lebanon’s informal financial sector that generate revenue for Hizballah. These actors have supported sanctions evasion schemes involving Hizballah-controlled financial institution Al-Qard Al-Hassan (AQAH) and an Iran-based Hizballah finance team operative. Hizballah uses AQAH as a financial institution to undermine the Lebanese state and fund its terro

Joint Statement on the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS Meeting on Iraq and Syria The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Begin Text: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hosted a meeting of senior diplomatic and defense officials from the Small Group of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS/Daesh in Riyadh on February 9, 2026. Saudi Vice Foreign Minister Waleed A. Elkhereiji opened the meeting, which was c