Today, the United States is sanctioning three Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) officials involved in the abduction, detention, and probable death of former FBI Special Agent Robert A. Levinson. MOIS has a history of wrongfully detaining U.S. nationals and has been designated across various sanctions programs.
Today's action follows the December 2020 designations of Mohammad Baseri and Ahmad Khazai, who acted in their capacity as MOIS officers in Mr. Levinson's abduction, detention, and probable death. The United States will continue to work to identify those involved in this case.
The United States will also continue our relentless efforts to secure the release of all U.S. 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 U.S. nationals.
Additionally, since November 2019 the U.S. Department of State's Rewards for Justice program, which is administered by the Diplomatic Security Service, has offered a reward offer of up to $20 million for information leading to the location, recovery, and return of Bob Levinson and the identification of those responsible for his disappearance.
