FBI Seeks Information on Presumed Death of Ex-Agent in Iran

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation will continue its efforts aimed at “finding out what happened” to former agent Robert Levinson, who apparently died Iranian custody after vanishing on March 9, 2007, according to an email the organization’s director, Chris Wray, sent to employees on Thursday. Wray said in the email that he met with Levinson’s family and “we explained that the most credible evidence we have collected over the past 13 years points to the likelihood that Bob died in captivity.” He further said that “it pained me to deliver that news, but I believe that we owed Bob’s family a thorough and candid presentation of the information that we’ve collected.” On Wednesday, Levinson’s family announced that US government officials had recently shared their belief that Levinson was dead. The officials did not provide details as to the circumstances of Levinson’s death but said they believed it happened a while ago. Levinson’s family said they believed it happened before the outbreak of the novel coronavirus that has hit Iran hard. Trump administration officials have called on Iran to provide an accounting of Levinson’s abduction and captivity. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday that “only Iran knows for certain what happened” to Levinson.