Crime & Justice
18 years after FBI agent's abduction, Tehran's deception persists
FBI continues to pursue those responsible for the abduction and death of Robert Levinson, who vanished from Iran's Kish Island in 2007.
![The United States is offering a reward for information on two Iranian intelligence officials sanctioned for their role in Robert Levinson's 2007 abduction. [Rewards for Justice]](/gc3/images/2025/03/19/49585-iran-khazai-baseri-370_237.webp)
By Pishtaz |
FBI director Kash Patel's recent pledge to "zero out" the number of US citizens held hostage overseas comes as the agency continues to seek information about the fate of retired FBI agent Robert Levinson.
Though Iranian regime officials have repeatedly denied knowledge of his whereabouts, US officials have determined that Levinson, who vanished on Iran's Kish Island on March 9, 2007, probably died in Tehran's custody.
"We won't stop until we've uncovered the truth about what happened to him and brought him home," Patel said March 9.
Levinson's story is just one tragic example of the Islamic Republic's pattern of detaining foreigners, sometimes to use as political pawns.
Levinson, who specialized in investigating organized crime during his FBI career, had been working as a contract report writer for the CIA's Illicit Finance Group when he disappeared, CNN reported.
His wife Christine Levinson met with Iranian regime officials in December 2017 but learned nothing of his whereabouts.
US fugitive Dawud Salahuddin later told the Christian Science Monitor that both he and Levinson were detained by security forces on March 9, 2007.
In April 2011, Levinson's family received photos that showed him shackled, wearing an orange jumpsuit and holding signs written in broken English.
And in December 2011 they received a "proof of life" video.
Despite these glimmers of hope, all evidence points to Levinson's detention and probable death in regime custody, the FBI said February 4.
Detention and deception
"Some hostages are arrested to obtain something in return," said Islamic Republic expert David Rigoulet-Roze.
The regime often seeks the release of Iranians convicted of terrorism, or aims to recover frozen funds held overseas, he said.
The European Parliament in January condemned the regime's practice of "hostage diplomacy," demanding immediate release and repatriation of EU citizens held without fair trials.
Levinson's case reached its grim conclusion in March 2020, when US officials determined he had probably died in Tehran's custody.
"We haven't been able to hold a funeral for my dad," Levinson's daughter Sarah Moriarty told ABC News in 2021.
"We were never given the chance to say goodbye. To touch him one more time and tell him we love him. To bury him and properly grieve -- to have real closure and finality."
In December 2020, the US Treasury sanctioned two Iranian intelligence officers identified by the FBI -- Mohammad Baseri and Ahmad Khazai -- for their role in Levinson's abduction.
The FBI continues to offer a $5 million reward for information about Levinson's case, while the US State Department's Rewards for Justice program offers an additional $20 million leading to his location, recovery and return.
In discussions like this, we Iranians always end up throwing the worst insults and curses at each other, and we consider ourselves to be the most fair and just of all human beings. You know, the whole thing has gone wrong, and our situation has become such that every respectable and dignified Iranian will spend half an hour in the market to buy something worth 500,000 Tomans, just to get a discount.
We were really like this, that is, we really did everything for money and our own benefit, so that everyone would know that if we set such a reward for any Iranians, they would do it, and we all know that it can be done because the economic situation has put so much pressure on people that people can no longer talk about it. If a global face painting was ever done, I am sure we would be the oldest and most disappointed people, and if you saw the whole face of our nation, you would understand.
It was good.
Iran will never surrender to America or Israel. You will see. The leader knows that if he surrenders to America, America will want whatever he says to happen. Then the foundation of the revolution will be this Popular Mobilization Units. When Iran loses this system, America's foothold in Iran will be realized.
The solution is to detain the families of close relatives of the leaders of the Islamic Republic regime and individuals associated with terrorist crimes within American territory.
Hello, I wish peace and harmony would become widespread among nations and in the world and would gain so much value that instead of war, violence, and similar things, peace and reconciliation would be established and maintained. Curse be upon terror, terrorists, and similar crimes in every country, Amen.
For me, this issue remains an unsolved problem. How can those who issued this announcement, if they themselves do the same thing (which I do, even worse), be defenders of human rights and boast about themselves? But if any country or person other than themselves does such a thing, they become terrorists and murderers, and they deserve to die!!? Of course, I don't know if such a thing has been done in my country or not, but if it has been done, it was not without reason. Secondly, how did your agents, who are all Rambos, that is, how did you advertise like this, get caught so easily? In your movies, one of your agents destroys a country, how did he get caught? He is an FBI agent. Why do you fool people instead of yourself? If someone is truly Iranian, no matter how much he has problems with the government of his country, he will still not sell his country to foreigners. O Iran, my life is sacrificed for you. I will give my life for your survival. O cradle of lions and a warrior, may you live forever.
If you were a true Iranian, the situation in the country wouldn't be like this.
Now, don't be too upset, it’s bad for your health. Of course, we are just assuming.
There is no government in the world that is more dirty and cowardly, and that violates all international and humanitarian laws to achieve its goals, like the criminal Khamenei regime. It is a mafia and terrorist regime in every sense of the word, which has silenced European governments by paying out of the Iranian nation's treasury.
I am willing to help.
It was good.
The pure and powerful Republic of Iran treats its enemies like the angel of death, Azrael, and its friends like a kind brother. There is a proverb that says: A dog barks out of fear, not out of courage.… keep that in mind and go ahead, buddy.
There is nothing worse than the Iranian government. The Iranian government razed Iran and its wealth to the ground. There is no happiness. This situation in Iran is caused by you and your kind.
If there are several million people below the poverty line in America, some live in tents, open your eyes. I'm not saying that everything is good in our country, but a lot of this situations is due to the interventions of the US; may God not forgive them.
This government is full of deceit and tricks, and has no mercy on anyone. Sometimes they even steal from themselves just to gain two more days of benefits and stay in power. No remedy for self-inflicted harm.
We still remember the Iranian passenger plane that was cowardly shot down by an American ship in the Persian Gulf, and hundreds of innocent Iranian children and women were killed; was America accountable? This man is like those hundreds of others. Are they any better than us?
There is no evidence that anything happened, but the Ukrainian plane that was intentionally targeted killed all those Iranians. The Iranian government took responsibility for it. You are saying it. There is no real murderous government worse than Iran.
Yes, the murderer or murderers are always guilty and must be punished for their actions.
Thank you
Go to Iraq.