Robert Levinson

Robert Alan "Bob" Levinson (born March 10, 1948) is an American private investigator and retired U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and FBI agent. He disappeared on March 9, 2007, when visiting Iran's Kish Island while supposedly researching a cigarette smuggling case. Initially U.S. officials believed Levinson, kidnapped exactly two weeks before the 2007 Iranian seizure of Royal Navy personnel, was arrested by Iranian intelligence officials. However, every lead fizzled and Iran repeatedly denied any involvement in his disappearance. On December 12, 2013, the Associated Press reported that their investigations revealed that Levinson was working for the CIA, contradicting the U.S.'s statement that he was not an employee of the government at the time of his capture.

In an interview, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke of cooperation regarding Levinson's case. "We are willing to help, and all the intelligence services in the region can come together to gather information about him to find his whereabouts."