FBI Places Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan on Most Wanted List Over 2007 Abduction

The FBI added Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, to its Most Wanted list for his alleged role in the 2007 abduction of retired FBI agent Robert A. Levinson from Iran’s Kish Island. The bureau’s Washington Field Office also targeted two other Iranian intelligence officials, Taghi Daneshvar and Gholamhossein Mohammadnia, accusing them of orchestrating the kidnapping and concealing Iran’s involvement.

Levinson, a former FBI and DEA agent, vanished on March 9, 2007, during an unauthorized CIA mission on Kish Island, reportedly investigating cigarette counterfeiting and possibly Iran’s nuclear program. Photos and a 2010-2011 video showed him in captivity, but U.S. intelligence concluded in 2020 that he likely died in Iranian custody. Iran denies involvement, claiming Levinson left the country.

Moghadam, also known as Ahmad Amirinia, allegedly led the operations unit of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) in 2007, overseeing the abduction and later helping obscure Iran’s role. Daneshvar, a senior MOIS counterintelligence officer, reportedly supervised another operative during the kidnapping, while Mohammadnia, a former ambassador to Albania, is accused of deflecting blame to a militant group in Pakistan’s Balochistan region.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office defended Moghadam, citing his diplomatic immunity and role in strengthening Pakistan-Iran ties, and signaled no action on the FBI’s listing.

The move comes amid strained U.S.-Iran relations following a 12-day Iran-Israel warand ongoing nuclear deal talks with an August 2025 deadline. The FBI offers up to $5 million, with the State Department’s Rewards for Justice adding $20 million, for information resolving Levinson’s case. Senator Jim Risch emphasized accountability for the “devoted father and patriotic American.” The investigation continues as diplomatic tensions rise.