Robert Levinson has been gone a long time. The former FBI agent turned private investigator disappeared in Iran in 2007 and is believed to have died in Iranian custody, but the despotic regime has refused to provide any information or explain his whereabouts.
All the family has ever received from the mullahs was a video of him in 2010 and then a picture in 2011.
The U.S. officially concluded in 2020 that he had died:
For years, U.S. officials described him as a private citizen working independently, but a 2013 Associated Press investigation revealed he had been dispatched on an unauthorized mission by CIA analysts who lacked the authority to run such an operation.
He spent more than a decade unaccounted for, with his family receiving only sporadic and unverified proof-of-life communications. In 2020, the U.S. government officially concluded he had died while in Iranian custody, though the precise circumstances of his death remain unknown. Levinson was a father of seven children and had spent nearly two decades with the FBI before retiring and entering the private sector.
The U.S. has been trying to get answers for years:
On March 9, 2007, Robert Levinson was abducted in Iran. For 13 years, the Iranian government has denied knowledge of his whereabouts or condition, a claim that defies credibility. We call on the Iranian regime to send Bob Levinson home to his family. pic.twitter.com/Xud7ldscaf
— Department of State (@StateDept) March 11, 2020
Levinson may be gone, but he is not forgotten. Following the killing of Iran’s (former) Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during the US-Israel Operation Epic Fury, the family is renewing calls for Iran to release his body.
Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin reports.
Statement from the family of Robert Levinson:
— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) March 1, 2026
From the family of Robert Levinson:
For nearly 19 years, Iran has lied, obstructed, and refused to answer for the kidnapping, detention, and death of our father, Robert Levinson. He was taken by Iranian officials in 2007, held for…
He was taken by Iranian officials in 2007, held for years without basic human rights, denied contact with his family, and never returned home.
Although here in the United States, leftists like Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) say Iran posed no imminent threat to the United States, Levinson’s family has receipts proving otherwise:
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led the regime responsible for these crimes. His death does not erase what Iran did to our father, and it does not end our fight for accountability. But it is a significant moment for our family and for every family that has suffered at the hands of this regime’s hostage-taking and wrongful detention.
MORE: Schiff's No-Go on Iran: Ignores Global Attacks, Calls Strike Unjustified
The family is supportive of Operation Epic Fury and thanked both the president and the secretary of state for attempting to squash the repressive Iranian regime:
We are grateful to President Trump and Secretary Rubio for using the power of the United States to confront Iran and to hold it accountable, including by recognizing and addressing Iran’s long-standing practice of wrongful detention.
At the same time, our hearts are with the Iranian people as they continue their struggle for freedom, dignity, and a future free from the repression of this regime.
They want answers, and are asking the Trump administration to push for them:
Now Iran must do what it has refused to do for nearly two decades: provide full accountability for what happened to our father, return his remains to our family, and disclose the truth about his kidnapping, imprisonment, and death.
Our family will not stop demanding the truth. And we will not stop demanding justice.
In addition to the statement, Levinson’s son Dan also appeared on Fox News on Monday and said he knows Trump will do his best to get answers:
We're very appreciative that they're finally holding Iran accountable. We understand, after [nearly] 19 years of dealing with the Iranian regime, that they only respond to strength, they only respond to pressure. We know that President Trump and his administration understand this.
We're hoping that they're going to continue to hold them accountable.
Now that the Ayatollah no longer has a pulse, like many of his minions, let’s hope the family gets those answers.
Prayers for this Brave Family 🙏🏻❤️🇺🇸🫡👍 pic.twitter.com/u64kH1SVch
— Michael Hamm (@HammUSMCretired) March 2, 2026
Editor's Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.
Help us report the truth about the Trump administration’s decisive actions to keep Americans safe and bring peace to the world. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member