The Coral Springs family of Robert Levinson, who vanished in Iran 18 years ago and is presumed dead, is calling for any deal between the United States and Iran to include the return of his remains.
"We want to make sure that our dad is not forgotten,” Daniel Levinson, one of Levinson's sons, said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Friday.
President Donald Trump said Thursday he will decide within two weeks whether the U.S. military will get directly involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran given the “substantial chance” for renewed negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Levinson disappeared March 9, 2007, when he was scheduled to meet a source on the Iranian island of Kish. The last time his family saw him was in a “proof of life” photo in April 2011, and in November 2016 he was declared the “longest held hostage” at 3,530 days.
After years of uncertainty, U.S. officials said in March 2020 they obtained information that led them to believe he had passed away in Iranian custody sometime before the coronavirus outbreak. The Associated Press reported in 2013 that the CIA had no authority to run the operation during which Levinson was taken.
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Levinson lived in Coral Springs for more than 30 years, with his wife and children. The family are longtime residents of Broward County.
One of his sons, Daniel Levinson, told the AP that the family has no answers on his father’s remains but he hopes that as President Donald Trump seeks diplomacy with Iran, this is the time for the government to use “leverage to hold them responsible.”
“We fully believe that they know exactly where his remains would be and what exactly happened to him,” he said. “We want justice for him. We want to get answers. We have no answers and the Iranian government has lied about it for 18 years.”
The Levinson family, in a post Thursday on the X social media website, urged the White House to press Iran for “answers” about their father’s disappearance and presumed death.
“Our dad, Bob Levinson, was left behind too many times,” the family wrote. “This may be the last chance to get answers. Any deal with Iran must finally bring him home to rest on US soil.”
The X post tagged multiple Trump administration officials, including President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.
Our dad, Bob Levinson, was left behind too many times. This may be the last chance to get answers. Any deal with Iran must finally bring him home to rest on US soil @realDonaldTrump @SecRubio @SteveWitkoff @MorganOrtagus @StateSPEHA
— Help Bob Levinson (@HelpBobLevinson) June 19, 2025
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
