Secretary of State Antony Blinken is calling for answers from Iran on the 14-year anniversary of U.S. citizen Robert Levinson’s disappearance.
Levinson, a former FBI agent and CIA contractor, disappeared during a 2007 visit to Kish Island, a resort island located in the Persian Gulf under Iranian control. He is believed to be the longest-held U.S. hostage in history, although his relatives announced in March 2020 that they think he had died while in the custody of the regime, a claim that Iran has denied.
The United States sanctioned two high-level officials in the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security it believes were behind Levinson’s abduction and said that “this case is not closed,” Blinken noted in a Tuesday statement.
“We call on the Iranian government to provide credible answers to what happened to Bob Levinson and to immediately and safely release all U.S. citizens who are unjustly held captive in Iran,” the secretary of state said. “The abhorrent act of unjust detentions for political gain must cease immediately.”
Blinken spoke with Levinson’s family Monday, which “continues to advocate for the answers about what happened after he went to Kish Island in Iran 14 years ago,” he said.
“Since his abduction in 2007, Bob, a father and husband, has missed graduations, marriages, and the birth of all but one of his grandchildren,” he said, adding that “Bob’s family has inspired the United States to partner with the families of every U.S. hostage and detainee held captive abroad.”
A U.S. federal court judge ruled in October 2020 that the Iranian government must pay $107 million in compensatory damages and $1.3 billion in punitive damages to Levinson’s family for his disappearance. At the time, Levinson’s relatives released a statement praising U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly’s ruling, saying they “intend to find any and every avenue, and pursue all options, to seek justice for Robert Levinson.”
“This judgment is the first step in the pursuit of justice for Robert Levinson, an American patriot who was kidnapped and subjected to unimaginable suffering for more than 13 years,” Levinson’s family said. “Until now, Iran has faced no consequences for its actions. Judge Kelly’s decision won’t bring Bob home, but we hope that it will serve as a warning against further hostage-taking by Iran.”
Despite the family’s belief that Levinson had died in Iranian custody, former President Donald Trump said in March 2020 that he still held out some hope that the former FBI agent was still alive.
“I don’t accept that he’s dead,” Trump said during a news briefing at the time. “It’s not looking great. They haven’t told us that he’s dead, but a lot of people think that’s the case. I feel badly about it.”
The State Department previously announced a $20 million reward for information leading to the safe return of Levinson, and the FBI has offered a $5 million reward.
