The United States has imposed sanctions on three officials from Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) for their alleged involvement in the 2007 abduction of former FBI agent Robert Levinson. Levinson, who disappeared while on a trip to Iran, has been presumed dead since 2020.

The US State Department announced the sanctions on Tuesday, stating that the targeted individuals are believed to have played a direct role in Levinson’s kidnapping. The action adds to previous measures taken by the Trump administration, which sanctioned two other Iranian agents linked to the same case.

“MOIS has a history of wrongfully detaining US nationals and has been designated across various sanctions programs,” the State Department noted. It reiterated its commitment to bringing home all American citizens held unlawfully abroad.

Robert Levinson’s case has long been a symbol of strained US-Iran relations, with his disappearance remaining unresolved for over a decade. The US government officially declared him deceased in 2020, though his remains have never been recovered.

The new sanctions are part of a broader US effort to hold accountable those involved in hostage-taking and wrongful detentions. The Treasury and State Departments frequently coordinate to identify foreign actors engaged in such practices and apply financial restrictions accordingly.

The US also emphasized it will continue its “relentless efforts” to secure the release of all US nationals who are currently being held hostage or are wrongfully detained overseas.

This move underscores Washington’s ongoing strategy of using targeted sanctions to apply pressure on Iran and signal its zero-tolerance stance on hostage diplomacy and intelligence-related abuses.