By Steve Neavling
On the 17th anniversary of Robert Levinson’s disappearance on Friday, FBI Director Christopher Wray said the bureau would never give up on finding him.
Levinson, whose 76th birthday was Sunday, disappeared while on Kish Island, a tourist spot off the coast of Iran. He worked for the CIA a paid source, and U.S. officials believed he died while in Iranian custody.
“It has been 17 years since Bob disappeared in Iranian territory, but no matter how much time has passed, the FBI and our partners will pursue every lead to uncover what happened to Bob and return him to his family,” Wray said in a statement Friday. “I’m grateful that our nation continues to remember Bob, with March 9 commemorating National Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day—a day for our entire nation to pause and remember Bob and all Americans unjustly held abroad.”
The FBI also renewed its calls to Iran “to uphold its prior commitments to cooperate and to share information that could lead to Bob’s return.”
The FBI is still offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to “directly to the location, recovery, and return of Bob Levinson.”
In March 2020, Levinson’s family said it has given up hope that he’s still alive.
