The U.S. sanctioned “two senior officials of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS)” who it said were “involved in the abduction of Robert A. ‘Bob’ Levinson on Iran’s Kish Island” in 2007. The White House noted that “the U.S. government is initiating the first public actions against the Iranian government to hold them accountable for the abduction”, pledging to “relentlessly pursue all others involved as the investigation continues”. “Any future talks with Iran must include resolution to this case”, the White House added.