White House calls on Iran to search for missing American
WASHINGTON -- The White House is keeping up pressure on Iran to help search for an American who went missing exactly nine years ago.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest says finding former FBI agent Robert Levinson remains a top priority. He notes Iran agreed to step up its role in the search as part of a prisoner exchange negotiated alongside a nuclear agreement earlier this year.
An FBI statement Wednesday says the U.S. is encouraged by the recent cooperation from the Iranian government.
"He is the longest-held hostage in American history," the statement said. "The FBI continues to work closely with our intelligence community and international partners to locate Bob and bring him home safely."
Last month, the FBI has launched a Facebook page in Farsi to solicit tips on Levinson's whereabouts.
"Bob's wife, children, and grandchildren have waited nine long years for the release of their loved one. Nine years is an incomprehensible amount of time for him to be missing without any word of his whereabouts," FBI Director James Comey said in a statement. "The FBI family feels personally connected to ensuring Bob's safe return and we are doing everything in our power to investigate all leads."
Levinson, who will turn 68 tomorrow, disappeared during a trip to Iran's Kish Island in 2007. A 2013 Associated Press investigation found he was working for the CIA on an unauthorized intelligence-gathering mission to find information about Iran's nuclear program.
U.S. officials have said they are no longer certain he remains in the country.
The case drew renewed attention In January when Levinson was not part of a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Iranian governments that set free four other Americans who had been held in Iran's custody, including Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian. Secretary of State John Kerry said at the time that officials did not know whether Levinson was still alive.