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Washington (AFP)
On Monday, the United States accused Tehran for the first time of direct participation in the kidnapping of former FBI agent Bob Levinson, who lost track 13 years ago and “probably died,” and imposed sanctions on two elements of the Republic’s intelligence. Islamic
The administration of US President Donald Trump, which released the information a month before Joe Biden took office, urged prioritizing the release of at least three Americans detained by Iran as part of the expected resumption of the diplomatic process. between the two countries.
“The Iranian government promised to help bring Bob Levinson back, but it never did,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement. “The truth is that the Iranian intelligence services, with the approval of senior Iranian officials, are involved in the kidnapping and arrest of Bob.”
The United States Treasury announced that it would impose sanctions on two Iranians, whom it identified as Islamic Republic Intelligence agents, Muhammad Basri and Ahmad Khazai, noting that they were “involved in the kidnapping, arrest and probable death of Mr. Levinson. “.
The sanctions themselves are largely symbolic, as the two Iranian clients are unlikely to have bank accounts in the United States, although the move will limit their international movements.
A senior US official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, asked the incoming Biden administration to address the issue of missing Americans. “There should be no renewed negotiating agreement with Iran that does not release Americans unjustly detained in that country,” the official said, noting that the regime in Iran “dates back 41 years and has a 41-year history in the hostage taking “.
Trump imposed comprehensive sanctions on Iran, including seeking to halt all its oil exports, and withdrew from the 2015 deal brokered by his predecessor Barack Obama, under which Tehran drastically reduced its nuclear program.
Following the conclusion of the agreement, Iran agreed to release four US citizens it had held. The deal angered members of Trump’s Republican Party because Obama had also authorized the release of frozen Iranian assets.
Mysterious case
Levinson, who disappeared under President George W. Bush and is supposed to have turned 72 this year, was one of the most mysterious cases of disappearance of US citizens in a hostile country.
The father of seven children disappeared in March 2007 on Kish, an island with more lenient visa laws than the rest of Iran, where he was said to be investigating a dossier on the fake cigarette industry.
But the US newspaper “Washington Post” reported in 2013 that Levinson, who retired from the FBI, was working for the CIA and was heading to Iran on a self-motivated mission to gather intelligence on the matter.
She explained at the time that the CIA paid Levinson’s wife, Christine, $ 2.5 million to accept responsibility for his disappearance.
Iranian officials have repeatedly said they have no information on the matter. In 2010, Levinson appeared, dressed in an orange suit similar to those worn by detainees at the US Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, with a bearded and scarf-like color, sparking speculation. that he was being held by Islamic extremists in Pakistan, which US officials soon downplayed.
Trump told reporters in March that he rejected the idea that Levinson had died, while explaining that the latter had health problems.
The former client’s family said they obtained evidence to convince them of Levinson’s death.
The senior US official explained that the involvement in Levinson’s death was “known at very high levels in the Iranian government,” but declined to provide evidence or details about his likely death.
“I cannot know what is going through their heads to show why they did it,” the official said, adding: “The logic indicates the desire to arrest and question a person who spent his career in law enforcement in the U.S”.
The American announcement comes amid growing concern over the human rights situation in Iran, as Ruhollah Zam, who ran a popular social media channel during the 2017 protests, was executed on Saturday.
The Iranian dissident lived in France, but activists say he was kidnapped after traveling to Iraq.
© 2020 AFP
