The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has added Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, to its most wanted list in connection with the 2007 abduction of former FBI agent Robert Levinson.
The FBI alleges that Moghadam, also known as Ahmad Amiri Nejad, was involved in planning the kidnapping while serving as a senior official in Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security.
However, Arab News reported that the Pakistani government has reaffirmed the ambassador’s diplomatic immunity. Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch described Moghadam as a respected diplomat who has played a constructive role in Iran-Pakistan relations, and emphasized that he is entitled to full diplomatic protections under international law.
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The FBI’s appeal for information, released under the title “Seeking Information,” also named two other Iranian intelligence figures: Taqi Daneshvar and Gholamhossein Mohammadnia. Mohammadnia, a former ambassador to Albania, was expelled by that country in 2018.
Steven Jensen, FBI Assistant Director, said the officials not only coordinated Levinson’s abduction but were also involved in hiding details of his fate. Levinson, who disappeared while on Kish Island in Iran, is presumed to have died in captivity, though his body has never been recovered.
The FBI further claims the officials tried to falsely attribute Levinson’s disappearance to a militant group in Pakistan’s Balochistan region. To aid the investigation, the FBI is offering a $5 million reward, while the US State Department has pledged up to $20 million.