For any person facing the trauma of a hostage situation, the nightmare event is often compounded by the politics of the situation. The political dynamics can be further complicated if the hostage situation is a particularly high-profile case. This is precisely what happened to the family of slain American Robert Levinson who, in 2007, while visiting the Iranian island of Kish, was abducted by the Iranian government and held captive for 12 years.

Background: Who Is Robert Levinson? 

Robert Levinson, a retired FBI agent, was born in 1948. As an agent, he worked on investigations into numerous organized crime families and white-collar criminals. His career eventually took him to Russia, where he investigated money-laundering and corruption.

In 2007, he and his family were on vacation together in Kish, an Iranian island in the Persian Gulf. While there, he was kidnapped and later, according to his family, held hostage by Iranian Revolutionary Guards acting on behalf of the Iranian government.

Levinson quickly became an international story and championed by then-President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. President Obama, too, called for his safe return in 2009.

Throughout those 12 years, there have been countless rumors, erroneous sightings and unfounded promises of his safe return. None of those, however, came to fruition, and in March of 2019, the family received confirmation that Levinson had died in Iranian custody, with no knowledge of exactly when or where.

The Political Implications of Levinson’s Hostage Situation 

Levinson’s abduction occurred during a time characterized by souring US and Middle Eastern relations, heightening the political implications of his situation.

Accusations were made from Iran that the United States was somehow involved in planning the 2007 trip. They claimed his ransom was the release of Iranian political prisoners held by the US, allegations which the US denied. Despite the constant accusations, the US government consistently denied knowledge of the abduction and held to their assertion that Levinson had been visiting Kish on his own personal business.

During the 12-year period of Levinson’s captivity, the Iranian government would periodically issue statements denying knowledge of what happened to him. In 2010, a mysterious video of Levinson dressed in an orange jumpsuit appeared, and then again in 2011, the same type of video appeared.

The apparent stoic response of US administration officials lent to the perception that Levinson’s case was not a top priority; that it simply became another day-to-day story on the international circuit.

The Impact of Politics on the Hostage Family’s Grief 

For any family facing the grief of a kidnapped or murdered loved one, there is no doubt that the intensity of their suffering is compounded by the politics of the situation. That was clearly the case for Levinson’s family.

The family members say they were continually viewed as nothing more than objects in the tense US-Iran diplomatic dance, with limited ability to influence the policies of either side. As was the case for Robert Levinson, the politics of a hostage situation can sometimes overshadow the interests of the family, leaving them to exist in a sort of purgatory.

Throughout the 12-year period, Levinson’s wife Cindy was a tireless advocate for her husband’s safe return. She repeatedly called on the US government to do more, but as Iran and the US maintained an icy diplomatic distance, tension for the family only increased.

There were periods of relative optimism, such as when US negotiators arrived in Tehran in 2016 to discuss the nuclear deal. Levinson’s family urged US officials to use the moment to finally bring Robert home. Unfortunately, they were met with dead ends.

Ultimately, US negotiators pushed for the release of the Levinson family in the hope that Iran would finally reveal information about Robert’s whereabouts. Alas, their efforts were unsuccessful, and the family remained in limbo until the confirmation of his death in 2019.

The Effect on the Contemporary International Landscape

The Levinson family’s story shows the lengths to which international politics can go in delaying the resolution of a hostage situation. It has taken international politics to solve hostage crises in the past, and similar stories continue to unfold today.

Levinson’s tragic end is proving to be a cautionary tale for today’s foreign policy makers, as it stands to highlight the need to prioritize hostage situations early on.

The circumstances of Levinson’s abduction and death have huge implications on the US-Iran relationship, with the International Crisis Group recently reporting a renewed brinkmanship between Washington and Tehran. They have long been on opposing sides over a range of issues, such as the nuclear deal, Syria and human rights.

But in the wake of the confirmation of Levinson’s death, the US government condemned its ally, accusing Iran of misleading its citizens and the international community by concealing the details of its death.
In spite of this renewed tension, the Biden administration has expressed its desire to deescalate the situation and re-engage diplomatically with Iran, including on the issue of accounting for Robert Levinson and other US citizens believed to be held against their will in Iran.

The need for politicians to focus on international hostage situations and come to a swift resolution has never been more evident. Communities around the world have also opted, as in Levinson’s case, to raise awareness and keep the story active.

Politics can be a formidable and influential factor in hostage cases, compounding the grief families experience. The story of Robert Levinson and his family is one of political manipulation, stonewalling and broken promises.

The current increased tensions between the US and Iran are testament to the need to prioritize the resolution of hostage and abduction cases before they spiral out of control, as they did in Levinson’s case.

Despite his family’s 12-year-long fight for answers, today, Robert Levinson is yet another example of the devastating reality that hostage situations often end without resolution.