A former FBI agent who many had given up for dead may in fact still be alive.
Robert A. Levinson’s case is currently “ongoing,” Iran admitted in a United Nations filing, The Associated Press reported on Saturday.
It is the first time the country has acknowledged the existence of a legal case in its Revolutionary Court surrounding Levinson, who vanished in 2007 after being apprehended on Iran’s Kish Island, the wire service reported.
Levinson had been in Iran on a secret mission for the CIA which remains classified.
The agency did not have authority to run spy missions in the country, the AP reported in 2013. The CIA gave the Levinson family a $2.5 million annuity to halt a lawsuit that might have revealed details of the case.
It is believed he was gathering intelligence on the secretive regime for the US government.
Levinson spent 22 years in the FBI, with previous service as a special agent in the Los Angeles, New York and Miami field offices. He also spent six years with the Drug Enforcement Administration
Levinson was last seen with US fugitive Dawud Salahuddin, who is accused of murdering an Iranian diplomat who had been critical of Ayatollah Khomeini in 1980. Salahuddin has been hiding out in Iran ever since.
In November 2010, video emerged of Levinson wearing an orange jumpsuit and pleading to be released and return back to the United States. He had lost a considerable amount of weight.
“The FBI has been steadfast in investigating every lead since Bob’s disappearance. And we are committed to bringing Bob home to his family safely,” James McJunkin, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office said in 2012.
“The FBI will continue to follow every lead into Bob’s disappearance. We have posted pictures from the video, along with a composite sketch of what we believe Bob would look like after five years of captivity on the FBI Web site at
Recovery efforts have been impeded by the lack of formal relations between the two countries.
President Barack Obama discussed the Levinson matter on a phone call with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in 2013 during a thaw in relations. It was the first time leaders of the two countries had communicated in 34 years.
Still, Obama was unable to secure Levinson’s release during his time in office and despite inking a controversial nuclear deal with Tehran aimed at ending its international isolation.
The Obama efforts to aid Iran, including allowing it access to dollars on international currency markets, didn’t sit well with the Levinson family.
His son, Dan Levinson, denounced the effort in a blistering op-ed for The Post in 2016.
“What incentive does Iran have to send my father home if it is already being handed everything it wants?” he wrote.
“I have no doubt that if the administration told Iran there would be no further negotiations on any other issues until my dad is returned, Tehran would move quickly to resolve his case.”
Levinson is currently the longest-held US civilian in the custody of a foreign power. The United States has offered a $25 million reward for information leading to his return.