Pakistan has publicly defended Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, following his inclusion on the US Federal Bureau of Investigation’s “most wanted” list. The FBI alleges Moghadam’s involvement in the 2007 disappearance of former FBI agent Robert Levinson.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan asserted that Ambassador Moghadam is “widely respected” in Pakistan and is a duly accredited envoy of a neighboring country. The statement also acknowledged the ambassador’s vital role in fostering Pakistan-Iran bilateral relations, reiterating Islamabad’s commitment to maintaining friendly ties with Tehran. “As far as Pakistan is concerned, the ambassador of Iran is widely respected for his role in the promotion of Pakistan-Iran relations,” the FO spokesperson added. “He is entitled to all the privileges, immunities and respect due to an ambassador, that too from a friendly neighboring country.”
The FBI recently added Moghadam to its most wanted list, citing his alleged involvement in the abduction, detention, and probable death of Robert Levinson, a retired FBI agent who vanished after traveling to Iran’s Kish Island in 2007. Levinson has not been publicly seen since, and his family, based on US intelligence assessments, believes he died in Iranian custody.
According to the FBI, Moghadam—an official of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security—was among those designated by the US Department of the Treasury in March 2025 for his alleged role in the incident. The bureau has offered a reward of up to $5 million, while the US State Department’s Rewards for Justice Program has announced an additional $20 million for information leading to Levinson’s recovery.
The FBI’s action follows heightened tensions in the wake of the 12-day Iran-Israel war and amidst renewed diplomatic efforts concerning Iran’s nuclear program. The US and its European allies have set a de facto deadline of the end of August to reach a new nuclear deal with Tehran. Should this deadline pass without an agreement, they intend to trigger the “snapback” mechanism to reimpose UN sanctions.
Reacting to the FBI’s most wanted list, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Senator Jim Risch stated that the FBI “is leading the way on holding Iran accountable for the abduction of Bob Levinson, a devoted father and patriotic American.” In a post on X, he added, “We will never forget Bob and his family, and we will hold those responsible to account for their crimes.”
Washington’s move comes in the aftermath of the recent 12-day Iran-Israel war, during which the US reportedly bombed Iranian nuclear sites. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and the UK, during a telephonic conversation, agreed to set the end of August as the de facto deadline for reaching a nuclear deal with Iran. If no deal is reached by that deadline, the three European powers plan to activate the “snapback” mechanism, which would automatically reimpose all UN Security Council sanctions that were lifted under the 2015 Iran deal.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has indicated that Tehran was interested in discussions with the US, but he was in no rush to engage with Iran—which has refused to hold nuclear talks if they are conditioned on the country abandoning its uranium enrichment activities.
