Associated Press: Many American Officials Believe Levinson is No Longer Alive

The Associated Press reported that many U.S. officials believe Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent who disappeared in Iran over 10 years ago, is no longer alive. Levinson, who would now be 69 years old, went missing in early March 2007 after traveling to Kish Island, and efforts to locate him have continued since then. Last year, coinciding with the tenth anniversary of Levinson's disappearance, the United States reaffirmed its commitment to clarifying his status, and in mid-April of this year, several members of the House of Representatives urged the Iranian government to fulfill its obligations regarding assistance in finding him. However, according to a U.S. State Department official cited by the Associated Press, many government officials believe Levinson is no longer alive. The report noted that Levinson's family met with U.S. State Department officials on Thursday, July 20, to follow up on efforts to identify his whereabouts. The exact content of the conversation between Levinson's family and State Department officials is unclear, and the official who provided the information to the Associated Press requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak on the matter. The State Department has not confirmed such a meeting but emphasized the U.S. commitment to finding Levinson and bringing him back to America. Initial reports indicated that Levinson traveled to Iran for research on cigarette smuggling in the region. However, the Washington Post suggested that Levinson was working for the CIA at the time of his disappearance and had traveled to Kish to meet with an informant regarding Iran's nuclear program. This hypothesis was also raised in a December 2013 Associated Press report, which claimed Levinson was gathering information for the CIA on an unofficial mission. The U.S. has offered a $5 million reward for information leading to Levinson's whereabouts. Iranian officials have claimed they are unaware of Levinson's location or what has happened to him, including Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stating in December 2013 that the Iranian government has no information about Levinson's fate or whereabouts. Meanwhile, in April of this year, Levinson's family lawyer reported to the New York Times that a lawsuit had been filed against Iran in a federal court in Washington by Levinson's family members, who are seeking damages for what they describe as Iran's role in inflicting psychological pressure on them.