FBI Reports Iranian Cooperation in Finding Robert Levinson

The FBI announced on Wednesday, March 10, that Iranian officials have recently attempted to cooperate with the United States to identify the whereabouts of Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent who disappeared nine years ago on Kish Island. According to Reuters, the FBI's Washington office stated in a press release that "recent cooperation between Iran and the United States is encouraging, and we believe that finding and returning Bob [Robert Levinson] requires a joint effort with the Iranian government." The statement quoted FBI Director James Comey as saying that the FBI is "working tirelessly to follow leads" to find Mr. Levinson. On the ninth anniversary of Levinson's disappearance, the White House also announced that it would continue to pressure Iran to locate Mr. Levinson. On the same day, Secretary of State John Kerry emphasized his commitment to finding Robert Levinson and bringing him back to the U.S. According to the Associated Press, White House spokesman Josh Earnest stated that Iran has agreed to increase its role in the effort to find Mr. Levinson. He added that this Iranian agreement has emerged from prisoner exchange negotiations with the U.S. that have continued alongside the nuclear agreement earlier this year. Last December, as part of the prisoner exchange between Tehran and Washington, five American citizens, four of whom hold dual citizenship, were released from Iranian prisons. Simultaneously, seven Iranian prisoners in the U.S. were also freed. Since Robert Levinson was not among those released, the issue of his disappearance has once again come to the forefront of American officials' attention. Meanwhile, on the ninth anniversary of Robert (Bob) Levinson's disappearance, John Kerry stated in a press release that "we will never forget Bob, and we will not rest until he is back in the arms of his family." Kerry added that the Islamic Republic of Iran has committed to assisting in this matter, and "we expect Iran to fulfill its commitment." The U.S. Secretary of State noted that in March 2015, the FBI offered a $5 million reward for any information leading to Robert Levinson's safe return to the U.S. In further remarks from American figures on the ninth anniversary of Robert Levinson's disappearance, controversial Republican primary frontrunner Donald Trump criticized the U.S. government's policies toward Tehran, stating that he believes Iran "knows exactly" where Robert Levinson is. U.S. officials have long emphasized that Mr. Levinson traveled to Iran solely for business purposes, but recently some American media reports have suggested that Mr. Levinson was actually gathering intelligence for the CIA on an unconfirmed and covert mission. In this context, Trump remarked, "We have given money to Iran; they buy non-American goods." The Levinson family is making renewed efforts to urge the government to clarify his situation, and a new resolution in the U.S. calls for Iran to assist in finding Levinson. A Senate committee has passed a resolution to pressure Iran to locate Levinson.