FBI Washington Field Office Statement on the 19th Anniversary of the Abduction of Robert A. Levinson
March 9, 2026 - Today marks the 19th anniversary of the abduction of retired FBI Special Agent Robert A. “Bob” Levinson from Kish Island, Iran. Bob, who served as an FBI agent for 22 years, vanished during a business trip in 2007.
“The FBI will never forget Bob, and we will not stop until we can provide answers to his family and loved ones,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “We will continue to use the FBI’s full range of investigative resources in our collaborative work with our U.S. government and international partners until we’ve uncovered the truth about what happened to him and brought him home. Bob was one of us; he served the American people, and he deserves nothing less than our full commitment.”
Before joining the FBI in 1976, Bob worked as a Drug Enforcement Administration agent for six years. He retired from the FBI in 1998.
The most credible evidence that the U.S. government has collected indicates that Bob died in Iranian captivity by 2020, making him the longest-held American hostage in U.S. history. The FBI shares his family’s resolve to determine what happened to him during his kidnapping and detention.
Bob’s loved ones should be celebrating his 78th birthday tomorrow. Instead, they are facing another year without clarity. No family should have to wait 20 years for answers. FBI agents, analysts, and professional staff continue to develop new leads and intelligence in hopes of resolving this case before Bob’s next birthday.
The FBI released five seeking information posters last year as part of our ongoing work. Each poster features an Iranian intelligence officer who was allegedly involved in Bob’s abduction and confinement as well as the Iranian regime’s efforts to obscure its responsibility: Mohammad Baseri, Ahmad Khazai, Reza Amiri Moghadam, Taghi Daneshvar, and Gholamhossein Mohammadnia.
Baseri and Khazai were officials of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security during Bob’s abduction and captivity. They allegedly had direct knowledge of Bob’s case. Daneshvar oversaw Baseri’s work during the timeframe when Bob disappeared. Media reports indicate that Baseri was killed during recent military strikes on Iran. Regardless of the reports, the FBI is still seeking information about his involvement in Bob’s abduction.
Mohammadnia previously led an effort to blame Bob’s disappearance on a terrorist group in Pakistan to shift blame away from the Iranian government.
Moghadam is the current Iranian ambassador to Pakistan. He previously led the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security’s operations unit.
For nearly two decades, the Iranian regime has denied its role in Bob’s kidnapping and detention even though Iranian intelligence officials authorized it. As Bob’s family justifiably continues to demand answers, the FBI calls on Iran to return Bob’s remains and reveal the truth about his abduction, captivity, and probable death.
The FBI continues to offer a reward of up to $5 million for information that leads to Bob’s location, recovery, and return. If you have information, please email levinsonfbireward@fbi.gov or submit a tip via tips.fbi.gov. You can also contact your local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.
Additionally, the U.S. State Department’s Rewards for Justice program is offering a reward of up to $20 million for information that leads to Bob’s location, recovery, and return as well as information that leads to the identification, location, arrest, or conviction of any person responsible for his abduction.
FBI Washington Field Office
Office of Public Affairs
(202) 278-3519
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
