Obama ‘noted’ concern for 3 American captives in call to Iranian president

Obama on phone with Rouhani
“President Barack Obama talks with President Hassan Rouhani of Iran during a phone call in the Oval Office, Sept. 27, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)”

One can only imagine the hope that must have been felt by the families of three Americans held captive by Iran when they learned of Friday’s phone conversation between Presidents Obama and Hasan Rouhani – a conversation that marked the first communication between an American and Iranian president in over 30 years.

An administration official confirmed to CNN that Obama “noted our concern about three American citizens who have been held within Iran — Robert Levinson, Saeed Abedini, and Amir Hekmati — and noted our interest in seeing those Americans reunited with their families” during the call.

robert levinson
Photo Credit: Levinson Family

Levinson is the retired FBI agent who went missing in Iran while investigating cigarette smuggling in 2007 and whose whereabouts, sadly, are unknown.

According to CNN:

During an exclusive interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Rouhani offered little when asked what he can tell Levinson’s family.

“We don’t know where he is, who he is,” Rouhani said. “He is an American who has disappeared. We have no news of him.”

In November, Levinson will become one of the longest-held Americans in history passing the 2,454 days Terry Anderson spent in captivity before being freed by Islamic militants in Lebanon in 1991.

Hekmati is a former Marine who was imprisoned in Iran while visiting his grandmother in August 2011 and accused of working for the CIA. He was recently able to smuggle a letter out of his prison to Sec. of State John Kerry.

amir hekmati
Amir Hekmati
Photo Credit: CNN

“In December 2011, Hekmati appeared on Iranian state television maintaining that he had been sent to Iran by the CIA, but in his letter to Kerry, published on September 11 in the Guardian, he said he had been held “on false charges based solely on confessions obtained by force, threats, miserable prison conditions, and prolonged periods of solitary confinement,” the article said.

Abedini is the Christian pastor sentenced to serve eight years for preaching his faith in Iran one year ago.

saeed abedini
Abedini Family
Photo Credit: CNN

“In a news release Friday from the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), Abedini’s wife, Naghmeh, was quoted as saying she was “very grateful to President Obama for standing up for Saeed and for the other Americans who are held captive in Iran,” according to CNN.

Last week, Abedini’s wife was able to hand-deliver a letter to Rouhani while he was in New York for the U.N. General Assembly pleading for her husband’s release.

More from CNN.

Related: “Ted Cruz kneels in prayer at WH; not for what you may think”

“Wife of pastor jailed in Iran hand-delivers letter to new president” 

“Wife of former FBI agent missing in Iran publicly pleads for help”

[poll id=”108″]

DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW

Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!

Success! Thank you for donating. Please share BPR content to help combat the lies.
Janeen Capizola

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.

BPR INSIDER COMMENTS

Scroll down for non-member comments or join our insider conversations by becoming a member. We'd love to have you!

Comments are closed.

Latest Articles