FBI seeking information on 2 Iranian intel officers allegedly involved in Robert Levinson abduction
Federal authorities have released a pair of seeking information posters for two Iranian intelligence officers accused of authorizing the 2007 abduction of retired FBI special agent Robert Levinson. The posters come as part of a decades-long investigation into Levinson's disappearance, the FBI's Washington field office said Tuesday, noting their "commitment to resolving the case for his long-suffering family."
Since Levinson vanished, the United States has maintained the view that he was abducted during an unauthorized CIA mission in Iran and held wrongfully by the Iranian government. The former agent was thought to be alive until U.S. officials said in 2020 that intelligence suggested he may have been dead for "some time."
The posters include images of Mohammad Baseri and Ahmad Khazai, the Iranian senior intelligence officers believed to be responsible for Levinson's abduction, subsequent detention and probable death. The men are described as high-ranking officers in Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security, according to the FBI.
Levinson has not been seen or heard from since March 9, 2007, one day after the retired agent traveled to the Iranian island of Kish, according to the FBI. U.S. officials say Levinson's family received video and photographs of Levinson in anonymous emails several years later, in 2010 and 2011, which showed him in captivity. They ultimately released the footage and an image publicly but could not trace the emails back to their senders.
The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Baseri and Khazai under the Trump administration in 2020, the first time the country formally blamed Iran for Levinson's disappearance. At the time, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement that Iranian officials "authorized Levinson's abduction and detention and launched a disinformation campaign to deflect blame for the regime."
His statement identified Baseri and Khazai by name.
The U.S. has also accused Iran of sanctioning the scheme that resulted in Levinson's abduction and claimed its government knew the missing agent's location and lied about it for nearly 18 years.
Federal officials claim Baseri has been involved in counterespionage activities within and outside of Iran, in addition to sensitive investigations related to Iranian national security, and "has worked directly with intelligence officials from other countries to harm U.S. interests." Khazai has allegedly led Iranian intelligence and security delegations to other countries, the FBI said.
The State Department is offering a reward of up to $20 million for information that leads to Levinson's recovery and return, while the FBI put forward a prize of up to $5 million for the same.
"The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to return Bob to his family," said Sanjay Virmani, special agent in charge of the counterterrorism division at the FBI's Washington field office, in a statement. "Our extensive investigation continues to develop new leads and intelligence, and we will pursue all options to hold every Iranian official involved in his abduction accountable."
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