U.S. sanctions three Iranian officials allegedly involved in death of FBI agent Robert Levinson
By Ryan Patrick Jones
(Reuters) - The United States has imposed sanctions on three Iranian intelligence officers for their alleged involvement in the disappearance of former FBI Special Agent Robert Levinson, the U.S. Treasury and State departments said in press releases on Tuesday.
The sanctions on Reza Amiri Moghadam, Gholamhossein Mohammadnia, and Taqi Daneshvar of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security are the latest linked to the disappearance of the former FBI agent, who Washington believes was abducted in Iran and died in captivity.
As a result of the sanctions, any property of the men under U.S. jurisdiction must be blocked and Americans are generally barred from dealing with them. Foreign persons also risk blacklisting for dealing with them.
'Iran's treatment of Mr. Levinson remains a blight on Iran's already grim record of human rights abuse,' Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. 'The Department of the Treasury will continue to work with U.S. government partners to identify those responsible and shine a light on their abhorrent behavior.'
Levinson, who was working as a private investigator, disappeared in March 2007 after traveling to an island controlled by Iran for a meeting seeking information on alleged corruption involving former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.
The three sanctioned individuals all played a role in Levinson's abduction, detention and probable death, as well as efforts to cover up Iran's responsibility, the Treasury Department said.
The sanctions are being imposed under an executive order signed by former President Joe Biden, which seeks to hold to account terrorist organizations, criminal groups and other "malicious actors" who take hostages for financial or political gain.
The U.S. previously sanctioned two other Iranian officials in December 2020 who it accused of involvement in Levinson's disappearance.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
California Sen. Alex Padilla forcibly removed from DHS news conference
Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) was forcibly removed Thursday from a news conference held in Los Angeles by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem focused on recent protests in the area against immigration enforcement efforts. Padilla appeared to disrupt the news conference, which took place at the Los Angeles FBI headquarters. 'I have questions for the secretary,' he said as he was pushed out of the room. Speaking to reporters after the incident, Padilla said he was waiting for a scheduled briefing from federal officials when he learned about Noem's news conference. He said he then went to the news conference to 'hear if I could learn any new, additional information' about the Trump administration's immigration enforcement actions. 'I was there peacefully. At one point, I had a question and so I began to ask a question. I was almost immediately, forcefully removed from the room. I was forced to the ground, and I was handcuffed. I was not arrested. I was not detained,' Padilla said. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Padilla was not compliant with officers' commands and that the U.S. Secret Service 'thought he was an attacker.' 'Senator Padilla chose disrespectful political theatre and interrupted a live press conference without identifying himself or having his Senate security pin on as he lunged toward Secretary Noem,' McLaughlin said in a statement. 'Mr. Padilla was told repeatedly to back away and did not comply with officers' repeated commands.' McLaughlin added that Noem met with Padilla after the news conference for a 15-minute meeting. On Fox News, Noem said that her meeting with Padilla focused on the fact that law enforcement officers present during her news conference did not know who he was. 'If he would have requested a meeting, I would have loved to have sat down and had a conversation with him,' she added. '... We exchanged phone numbers. We'll continue to talk and share information … I wish he would have acted that way in the beginning instead of creating a scene like this.' The White House also responded on X, posting a video of the news conference captioned, 'Democrats will stop at nothing to put criminal illegals over American citizens.' California's leaders were quick to defend Padilla. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said Padilla 'is one of the most decent people I know' and called his forcible ouster 'outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful.' Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) called Padilla's detainment 'absolutely abhorrent and outrageous.' 'He is a sitting United States Senator,' Bass wrote on X. 'This administration's violent attacks on our city must end.' Sen. Adam Schiff (D-California) called on Noem to resign and for an investigation of the officers who arrested Padilla. 'The way he was treated and abused today is just disgraceful,' Schiff told reporters. 'It shows the utter disregard that this administration has for any bounds of law or civility, any appreciation of the separation of powers between the branches of government.' Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-California) lashed out at the treatment of Padilla by saying the administration cannot handle basic questions. 'Don't ask any questions because you'll probably get beaten up. That's called thug-ocracy,' the former House speaker told reporters. In Washington, congressional Democrats broadly condemned Padilla's treatment, and some moderate Republicans also initially expressed concerns. Hispanic House Democrats demanded answers from House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) over the incident, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) called authorities' 'manhandling' of the senator 'a sickening disgrace.' Like Schiff, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada) has also called on Noem to resign over the incident. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) called the incident 'shocking at every level,' and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who cautioned that she had only seen a brief video clip, suggested that authorities had gone too far. 'It looks like he's being manhandled and physically removed, and it's hard to imagine a justification for that,' Collins told reporters Thursday afternoon. Democrats also took to the Senate floor Thursday afternoon to denounce Padilla's arrest. 'I just saw something that sickened my stomach: the manhandling of a United States senator,' Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-New York) said minutes before the last Senate vote of the week. 'We need immediate answers to what the hell went on.' Other Democratic senators warned that Padilla's arrest was another step in the Trump administration's erosion of democratic norms. Some of them compared it to the arrest last month of Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-New Jersey), who was charged Tuesday with assault and interfering with federal officers during a visit to an immigration detention center. 'This is the stuff of dictatorships,' Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) said. 'It is actually happening.' Mariana Alfaro, Theodoric Meyer, Paul Kane and Marianna Sotomayor contributed to this report.


New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Brilliant airhead! Conman scored 120 free flights in clever ‘Catch Me If You Can'-style scam
Paging Frank Abagnale, Jr.! A Florida conman scored more than 120 free flights by posing as a crew member with at least seven different airlines in a wild, 'Catch Me If You Can'-style scam, according to federal prosecutors. Tiron Alexander, 35 — whose scheme echoes that of the real-life imposter pilot who inspired the Leonardo DiCaprio movie — was convicted of fraud June 5, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida. Advertisement Alexander took swindling to new heights by submitting scores of fake flight attendant credentials, including phony badge numbers, to book free flights between 2018 and 2024, federal prosecutors said. The scam echoes the one featured in the 2002 movie 'Catch Me If You Can.' Svitlana – The clever airhead turned in the bogus paperwork, complete with roughly 30 fabricated hire dates and ID numbers, to get aboard flights without paying — a perk only offered to pilots and crew members, prosecutors said. Advertisement All told, Alexander went on at least 34 free flights and booked a total of at least 120 without ever working for any of the airlines involved, authorities said. The fraudster previously worked for an unidentified airline in Dallas but was never a pilot or flight attendant for the firm, according to the prosecutors. Crew members and pilots are given free flights by airlines. Svitlana – He was found guilty of wire fraud and entering secure airport areas under false pretenses and faces up to 20 years behind bars. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 25. Advertisement By contrast, 'Catch Me if You Can' tells the true story of conman Frank Abagnale, Jr. who impersonated a Pan Am pilot, a doctor and a lawyer — all before turning 19 years old. He was eventually caught in 1970 and later used his expertise in fraud to work with the FBI.


Politico
an hour ago
- Politico
Bracing for an Israeli strike
With help from Eli Stokols, Benjamin Guggenheim, Jack Detsch and Daniel Lippman Subscribe here | Email Eric Washington's Middle East specialists have been spending today gaming out scenarios for what an Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities could look like, and whether there's any way it could happen without sparking wider regional war. Analysts and former U.S. officials say the level of escalation would ultimately come down to the scope of a strike, the role the United States plays in any attack and the degree of internal pressure from hardliners within the Iranian regime. There's no indication that a strike is imminent, but with the U.S. evacuating diplomatic posts, Iran threatening to hit U.S. installations and Israeli officials scheduling emergency meetings with the U.S. Middle East envoy, officials in the region and in Washington are on alert. Per MARK DUBOWITZ, who leads the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank in Washington, Israel has a few options at its disposal and they're all escalatory. Israel, Dubowitz says, might use airstrikes alone, or use a combination of airstrikes and operations by special forces to penetrate deep into Iran's nuclear facilities. Israel could also target Iran's nuclear scientists as a way to degrade the program's ability to rebuild. There's also the question of whether the U.S. would play any role facilitating or participating in the strikes. Israel has long been loathe to take such actions without at least a tacit nod from the U.S., but that doesn't mean they wouldn't go ahead without it. Dubowitz argues that U.S. involvement could actually prevent more escalation, saying that Supreme Leader ALI KHAMENEI 'knows that the United States, unlike Israel, has the firepower to really bring down his regime.' President DONALD TRUMP said today 'I'd love to avoid the conflict' and reiterated his hope for a deal, but added that an Israeli strike against Iran 'looks like something that could very well happen.' A person close to Trump's national security team told our own Eli Stokols that there is some frustration with Israeli Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU over Israel's insistence on threatening strikes. The person, granted anonymity to speak freely because of a fear of reprisals, also noted that the Trump administration isn't aligned with hardliners such as conservative commentator MARK LEVIN who want an Israeli strike on Iran. There is consensus that Iran, regardless of the nature of the strikes, would respond, and that it would exercise some degree of restraint. 'Iran's not suicidal,' said AARON DAVID MILLER, a veteran Middle East peace negotiator who worked for both Democratic and Republican administrations. 'The supreme leader has got to worry about regime stability.' Yet that doesn't guarantee Iran would employ the same degree of restraint as it has previously. TRITA PARSI, executive vice president at the non-interventionist Quincy Institute think tank in Washington, warns that the Iranian government is facing internal pressure from hardliners who felt that Tehran's decision not to respond forcefully to previous Israeli strikes hasn't benefited Iran. Any strike is also likely going to throw a wrench in nuclear talks with Iran, if they haven't already collapsed by then. 'A response to these circumstances is likely to be swifter and far more devastating than before,' Parsi said. 'If Trump has been convinced that some limited Israeli attack is helpful to soften the Iranian negotiating position, I think he will find out that It's quite the opposite, and that the Israelis know very well that the opposite is going to be the outcome, meaning the complete collapse of diplomacy.' The Inbox AUSSIES' AUKUS CALM: The Australian government is keeping calm and carrying on in the wake of news that the Trump administration is reviewing the AUKUS deal, which links the U.S., Australia and the United Kingdom in an effort to jointly develop submarines and hypersonic missiles. A spokesperson for Australian Deputy Prime Minister RICHARD MARLES told our own Paul McLeary that AUKUS member nations were notified about the review and that the Australian government considered the U.S. review a normal and expected part of the process. The spokesperson said that Trump discussed the AUKUS agreement with top Australian officials twice since taking office. RFK ASSASSINATION DUMP: The CIA — perhaps picking its moment carefully — released 54 declassified documents today about the 1968 assassination of presidential candidate and New York Sen. ROBERT F. KENNEDY. There were no smoking guns, but there were some interesting details. The Associated Press' David Klepper reported that according to the around 1,500 pages of previously classified documents, the former attorney general met with the CIA in 1955 after touring the Soviet Union to relay observations about the country, all as a voluntary informant. The release of the new pages comes two months after the administration released more than 10,000 pages related to RFK's assassination. And it reflects a focus from this administration to declassify more government documents in an effort to keep the nation's intelligence agencies accountable. ZELENSKYY'S ADVOCACY: Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY is urging Trump to make up his mind about whether or not to trust the Russian government's efforts to negotiate a ceasefire in Ukraine, arguing that time for peace is running low. 'Russia is simply lying to Trump,' Zelenskyy said in a Wednesday interview with the Axel Springer Global Reporters network, of which POLITICO is a member. 'Most heads of state and government share my opinion, and I very much hope that America sees and understands this. That is the most important thing. How you respond to that is America's decision.' During the same interview, Zelenskyy said he regrets how negatively his meeting with Trump in the Oval Office in February went, when Trump and Vice President JD VANCE harshly criticized Zelenskyy for not being grateful enough for U.S. support in Ukraine's war with Russia. Zelenskyy praised the later meeting with Trump at The Vatican in April as being more productive and 'friendly.' 'We were able to discuss much more than at the other meeting, which felt like it lasted a lifetime,' Zelenskyy said. IT'S THURSDAY: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily! This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at ebazail@ and follow Eric on X @ebazaileimil. While you're at it, follow the rest of POLITICO's global security team on X and Bluesky at: @dave_brown24, @HeidiVogt, @jessicameyers, @RosiePerper, @ @PhelimKine, @ak_mack, @felschwartz, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @reporterjoe, @JackDetsch, @samuelskove, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130 and @delizanickel Keystrokes NATO ON CYBER: The upcoming NATO summit this month will give countries the chance to show how they're upping their defense spending — and the Trump administration is hoping cyber initiatives will be part of the discussion. Shawn Powers, a spokesperson for the State Department's cyber bureau, told Maggie in a statement when asked about whether the U.S. would support any cyber initiatives at the summit — which runs June 24-25 in The Hague — that 'the world faces different threats than we did in 1949, and our spending requirements should reflect that. You can't stop a cyberattack with a tank.' Powers went on to say that NATO should focus on cyber intrusions and other hybrid threats, stressing that 'we expect allies to spend on infrastructure, invest in civilian protection, and ready their cyber, space and hybrid threat defenses.' While it's not clear which allies the statement was referring to, some NATO members have already stepped up their funding for countering cyberattacks. ANNA-MARIA OSULA, cyber and economic counselor at the Estonian Embassy in Washington, D.C., said that while Estonia — arguably the most cyber-focused nation in NATO — will 'not have major cyber/tech messages as this will not be the focus in the Hague discussions … it remains relevant to support Ukraine in every way, including Ukraine's cyber defence via the IT coalition.' And earlier this week, the Canadian government announced a major increase to its defense spending, which includes $560 million Canadian dollars, or around $409 million in American dollars, to strengthen cyber and digital efforts. DOD DENIAL: Defense Secretary PETE HEGSETH denied today that he ordered a pause on Cyber Command's operations around Russia earlier this year, reiterating an earlier Pentagon denial but contradicting a key member of Congress. 'It's false, we said it then,' Hegseth testified during a House Armed Services Committee hearing in regards to a report from February that he had ordered Cyber Command to stand down its operations on Russia. The Pentagon denied this report days later, but Rep. DON BACON (R-Neb.), chair of the committee's cyber subcommittee, said last month that he understood the pause had lasted a day. The Complex THE BEST OF HEGSETH: Hegseth today wrapped up his multi-day spree of testimony on Capitol Hill, as he and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. DAN CAINE work to convince lawmakers that the military merits a major ramp-up in funding via the reconciliation process. Our Defense team closely watched the various Armed Services and Appropriations committee hearings this week. Here are some key takeaways from their coverage (for Pros!). One, Hegseth got a lot of questions about the deployment of Marines to Los Angeles. Today before the House Armed Services Committee, Hegseth demurred as to whether he'd comply with a court order against the deployment of the Marines. And he's defended the deployment over the course of several days — even if he's struggled to explain why they should be deployed. Meanwhile, Republicans have repeatedly lashed Hegseth for stopping short of voicing support for Ukraine in the face of Russian attacks, including White House ally Sen. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-S.C.). Hegseth also got pressed for specifics from House appropriators on submarines, the Golden Dome initiative and other key marquee defense spending programs. On the Hill REPUBLICANS' IRAN STRIKE CALM: Republicans on the Hill aren't voicing too much concern with Israel's potential strike against Iranian nuclear facilities, or much confidence in the president's efforts to secure a nuclear deal. 'Israel has every right to defend itself against its neighbors,' Sen. PETE RICKETTS (R-Neb.) told NatSec Daily on Capitol Hill. Some Republicans couched their thinking in their pessimism about the prospects for a nuclear deal and Iran's commitment to ditching enrichment. 'It doesn't appear to me that Iran is going to voluntarily stop developing nuclear weapons. So if that's true, all right, then probably somebody is going to have to strike,' said Sen. RICK SCOTT (R-Fla.). Sen. MIKE ROUNDS (R-S.D.), who serves on both the Armed Services and Intelligence committees, told NatSec Daily that he doesn't have confidence the president can secure a nuclear deal with Iran. He also said it wasn't appropriate for the U.S. to tell Israel how to act vis-a-vis Iran. The comments stand in stark contrast to those of other White House allies today, signaling a rift in Republican circles over how to engage with Tehran and Israel. MAGA personalities, including far-right commentator JACK POSOBIEC and Breitbart editor MATT BOYLE, warned that an Israeli strike could undermine the president's political coalition and be counterproductive to the president's aims. Not every prominent GOP lawmaker was pessimistic about the state of talks. House Foreign Affairs Chair BRIAN MAST of Florida told our colleague Benjamin Guggenheim: 'We're still speaking. We're still talking. It's not past a point of no return.' He also said that while these talks were 'a steeply uphill battle' and Iran's continued enrichment aims complicate matters, 'we believe in the diplomacy process, and we're not going to abandon that at any point.' Broadsides MEANWHILE AT THE IAEA: While Israel seems poised to strike Iran's nuclear facilities, the U.N. nuclear watchdog is slamming Tehran for not complying with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The resolution from the International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors was expected. It accused Iran of not providing the IAEA with complete information about its nuclear facilities and the state of its nuclear program. And the resolution, per The New York Times' Steven Erlanger, could serve as the pretext for the U.N. Security Council to reimpose sanctions on Tehran. Tehran, for its part, is doubling down. It slammed the IAEA, saying the resolution 'completely called into question the credibility and prestige' of the agency, and vowed to launch a new enrichment site. Transitions — Trump's top Africa diplomat, TROY FITRELL, is stepping down in mid-July, Semafor's Mathias Hammer and Yinka Adegoke scoop. Fitrell's departure follows the removal of Major General JAMI SHAWLEY, the top White House Africa official, from the National Security Council and the merger of the NSC's Africa and Middle East offices. — DANIEL WHITE is now chief of staff at Metropolis Technologies. He most recently was deputy assistant secretary for strategy and policy planning at the Department of Homeland Security. — HENRIETTA LEVIN is now senior fellow for the Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She most recently was deputy China coordinator for global affairs at the State Department. What to Read — Jamie Dettmer, POLITICO: Will Netanyahu never learn? — Ian Cloud, Responsible Statecraft: The terrible cost of bringing Ukraine's bodies home — Kori Schake, Foreign Policy: Congress Must Constrain Trump Tomorrow Today — National Institute for Deterrence Studies, 10 a.m.: 'The Implications of a Nuclear Armed South Korea.' — Jerusalem Fund, 12 p.m.: Vietnam Then, Palestine Now: U.S. Subversion of Liberation Movements — George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs, 3:30 p.m.: A book discussion on 'The Milk Tea Alliance: Inside Asia's Struggle Against Autocracy and Beijing.' Thanks to our editors, Heidi Vogt and Ester Wells, who always escalate conflicts about this newsletter unnecessarily.