The United States has imposed sanctions on three officials from the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) due to their involvement in the abduction, detention, and probable death of former FBI Special Agent Robert A. Levinson. MOIS has a history of detaining U.S. nationals wrongfully and is already designated under various sanctions programs.
This move follows the December 2020 sanctions against Mohammad Baseri and Ahmad Khazai, who were also implicated as MOIS officers in Levinson's case. The U.S. remains committed to identifying all individuals involved in this matter.
The U.S. government continues its efforts to secure the release of all American nationals held hostage or detained abroad unjustly, aiming to reunite them with their families. It condemns Iran’s record of unjust detentions and lethal actions against U.S. citizens.
Since November 2019, the Rewards for Justice program by the U.S. Department of State has offered up to $20 million for information leading to Levinson's location, recovery, return, and identification of those responsible for his disappearance.
Today's action is executed under Executive Order 14078, which enforces the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act. This order targets terrorist organizations, criminal groups, malicious actors taking hostages for financial or political gain, as well as foreign states engaging in wrongful detention practices.
For further details, refer to the Treasury Press release.
