Retired FBI agent Robert Levinson — held hostage in Iran since 2007 — presumed dead, family announces

Retired FBI agent Robert Levinson — who was held hostage in Iran for more than a decade — is presumed dead, his grieving family announced Wednesday.

What are the details?

"We recently received information from U.S. officials that has led both them and us to conclude that our wonderful husband and father died while in Iranian custody," the Levinson family said in a statement. "We don't know when or how he died, only that it was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic."

In the statement, the Levinson family condemned the Iranian regime, promising to continue to seek justice in their patriarch's death and to hold accountable "those in the U.S. government who for many years repeatedly left him behind."

Levinson's loved ones also expressed gratitude toward President Donald Trump, his administration, the men and women of the FBI, and several U.S. senators for their efforts to bring the retired FBI agent home.

Fox News reported, "Levinson was 58 years old when he traveled to Kish Island, Iran, in 2007 working as a private investigator as part of an unauthorized CIA mission allegedly probing cigarette smuggling." The outlet noted that Levinson was "the longest-held hostage in U.S. history."

Anything else?

Just months ago, the Levinson family was given a glimmer of hope when the Iranian regime acknowledged for the first time that it had an open case looking into Levinson's disappearance. Iran has repeatedly denied having any involvement in Levinson's disappearance or knowledge of where he was held.

Iran Acknowledges For 1st Time Open Case Into Disappearance Former FBI Agent Bob Levinsonwww.youtube.com