Mohammad Baseri

Mohammad Baseri
محمد باصری
Born(1972-09-19)19 September 1972[1]
Semnan, Iran
Died28 February 2026(2026-02-28) (aged 53)
Tehran, Iran
Cause of deathAssassination by airstrike
OccupationIntelligence officer
EmployerMinistry of Intelligence (Iran)
Known forInvolvement in the Disappearance of Robert Levinson

Mohammad Baseri (Persian: محمد باصری; 19 September 1972 – 28 February 2026) was an Iranian intelligence officer who served in the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS). He was implicated by the United States government in the 2007 abduction and subsequent detention of retired FBI agent Robert Levinson, who disappeared on Kish Island in Iran. Baseri was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury in 2020 for his alleged role in the case. In 2025, the FBI issued a seeking information notice regarding his involvement.

Baseri held a high-ranking position within the MOIS, focusing on counterespionage operations both inside and outside Iran. He was described by U.S. authorities as having participated in sensitive national security investigations and collaborating with foreign intelligence services to advance Iranian interests, including actions against the United States.

He was killed in a joint U.S.-Israeli airstrike on Tehran on 28 February 2026, amid a series of military actions targeting Iranian officials.[2]

Career

Baseri served as a senior officer in Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security, where he was involved in counterespionage activities.[1][3] According to U.S. sources, he oversaw operations related to national security and worked with intelligence officials from other countries.[4] He was codenamed "Sanai" in some intelligence reports.[5]

Involvement in Robert Levinson case

Baseri was accused by the United States of playing a key role in the abduction, detention, and probable death of Robert Levinson, a retired FBI agent who disappeared in Iran in March 2007.[6] Levinson was believed to have been on an unauthorized CIA mission at the time of his disappearance on Kish Island.[7] In December 2020, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Baseri and fellow MOIS officer Ahmad Khazai for their alleged involvement in the case.[8] In February 2025, the FBI released seeking information posters for Baseri and Khazai, offering rewards for information related to Levinson's case.[9]

Assassination

Baseri was killed on 28 February 2026 in a joint U.S.-Israeli airstrike on Tehran.[10][2][11][12] Iranian state media reported his death alongside other senior officials targeted in the strikes.[13]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Mohammad Baseri". FBI.gov. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
  2. ^ a b "US-Israeli attacks kill Iranian top military, intel officials". Daily Sabah. 2026-03-01. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
  3. ^ "Treasury Sanctions Two Senior Iranian Intelligence Officers Involved in the Abduction, Detention, and Probable Death of U.S. Citizen Robert Levinson". U.S. Department of the Treasury. 2020-12-14. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
  4. ^ Janatan Sayeh (2025-02-06). "Analysis: Unpacking Iran's counterintelligence apparatus". Long War Journal. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
  5. ^ "Treasury Sanctions Additional Iranian Intelligence Officers Involved in the Probable Death and Cover-Up of Robert Levinson". U.S. Department of the Treasury. 2025-03-25. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
  6. ^ "Mohammad Baseri". FBI.gov. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
  7. ^ "FBI Seeking Information on Iranian Intelligence Officers". The Iran Primer. United States Institute of Peace. 2025-02-05. Archived from the original on 2026-02-08. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
  8. ^ "Treasury Sanctions Two Senior Iranian Intelligence Officers Involved in the Abduction, Detention, and Probable Death of U.S. Citizen Robert Levinson". U.S. Department of the Treasury. 2020-12-14. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
  9. ^ "FBI Washington Field Office Releases Seeking Information Posters for Two Senior Iranian Intelligence Officers Involved in the Abduction of Robert A. Levinson". FBI.gov. 2025-02-04. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
  10. ^ "محمد باصری، از مقامات ارشد وزارت اطلاعات کشته شده است" [Mohammad Basri, a senior official in the Ministry of Intelligence, has been killed] (in Persian). Iran International. 2026-03-01.
  11. ^ Mustafa Melih Ahishali and Sami Sohta (2026-03-01). "4 top Iranian military officials killed in US-Israeli strikes". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
  12. ^ "Senior Iranian intelligence official killed in airstrike". Report.az. 2026-03-01. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
  13. ^ "4 top Iranian military officials killed in US-Israeli strikes". Middle East Monitor. 2026-03-01. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
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