The United States on Tuesday sanctioned three senior Iranian intelligence operatives accused of playing a role in the disappearance and presumed death of retired FBI agent Robert Levinson, who vanished in Iran over 17 years ago.
“The United States will also continue our relentless efforts to secure the release of all US nationals who are held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad and reunite them with their loved ones. We condemn Iran’s longstanding record of unjust detentions of and lethal plotting against US nationals,” said Tammy Bruce, spokesperson for the US State Department.
She called Iran’s continued detention of US nationals and involvement in lethal operations “a longstanding pattern of unacceptable behavior.”
The three men—Taqi Daneshvar, Reza Amiri Moghaddam, and Gholamhossein Mohammadnia—are now listed on the US Treasury’s Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list.
All are linked to the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), a body the US describes as instrumental in hostage-taking and overseas plots targeting Americans.
The move builds on the December 2020 sanctions against two other MOIS officers, Mohammad Baseri and Ahmad Khazai, for their alleged roles in Levinson’s detention.
Levinson, who disappeared in 2007 from Iran’s Kish Island while on an unauthorized CIA mission, is believed by US officials to have died in Iranian custody, though Tehran has never acknowledged holding him.
Iran has repeatedly denied involvement in Levinson’s case. Iranian officials did not immediately comment on Tuesday’s sanctions.
The US offered a reward of up to $20 million for information leading to Levinson’s recovery or the identification of those responsible for his fate. The State Department said its Rewards for Justice program remains active.
Due to the sanctions, any assets the men hold under US jurisdiction must be frozen, and Americans are generally prohibited from engaging with them. Foreign individuals who do business with them also risk being blacklisted.
“Iran’s treatment of Mr. Levinson remains a blight on Iran’s already grim record of human rights abuse,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. “The Department of the Treasury will continue to work with US government partners to identify those responsible and shine a light on their abhorrent behavior.”
The Treasury Department added that all three sanctioned individuals were involved in the abduction, detention, and likely death of Levinson, as well as in attempts to conceal Iran’s role in the case.
The sanctions are being imposed under an executive order signed by former President Joe Biden, aimed at holding terrorist organizations, criminal networks, and other “malicious actors” accountable for taking hostages for financial or political gain.
The sanctions come amid heightened scrutiny of Iran’s detention practices, including the cases of several dual nationals held on security charges widely viewed by Western governments as politically motivated.
