A $20 Million Reward for Tracking Two Iranian Intelligence Officials

On the eve of the 18th anniversary of the disappearance of Robert Levinson, an American citizen, in Iran, the "Rewards for Justice" program announced a reward of up to $20 million for information related to two officials of the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Intelligence, suspected of being involved in the abduction of Robert Levinson. The "Rewards for Justice" program, a subsidiary of the U.S. State Department, published images of two senior officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence named "Mohammad Basiri" and "Ahmad Khazaei" on Wednesday, March 6, emphasizing that these two individuals are "suspected of being involved in the abduction, detention, and possibly the death of Mr. Levinson." The announcement stated: "If you have information about Mohammad Basiri, Ahmad Khazaei, the Ministry of Intelligence, or any other individual or entity involved in the disappearance of Mr. Levinson, please send it to the Rewards for Justice program." Robert (Bob) Levinson, a U.S. citizen and retired FBI agent, was abducted 18 years ago on March 6, 2007, during a business trip to Kish Island in Iran. The FBI also announced a similar reward of up to $5 million last month for information leading to the tracking and return of Bob Levinson. According to Sanjay Virmani, head of the FBI's Counterterrorism Division in Washington, extensive investigations by the FBI to find new leads and information are ongoing, and they will pursue all options to hold accountable any Iranian official involved in Mr. Levinson's abduction. The FBI claims that the Islamic Republic, despite issuing a permit for the abduction and detention of Robert Levinson, has denied having any information about his whereabouts for about 18 years and has attempted to divert attention from its role in this action by launching a campaign of misinformation. In December 2020, the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned these two Iranian intelligence officials for their role in the abduction of Bob Levinson. According to the department's announcement, Basiri has been involved in "counterintelligence" activities inside and outside Iran and has collaborated directly with intelligence officials from other countries to harm U.S. interests. Robert Levinson's son stated: "We continue to seek information about my father's fate in Iran." The U.S. has offered a $25 million reward for two Iranian intelligence officials. The U.S. Secretary of State stated: "Kidnapping is a violation of fundamental human rights." The U.S. Senate is seeking to pass legislation to support Americans imprisoned in other countries.