beyond that, there isn't any salient information on robert levinson in iran.he narrative in iran over these last sort of decade has changed. initially press tv, which is the english broadcaster of the state television here said that he had been taken by security forces here, but they very quickly back-pedaled on that statement back in 2007, and then started saying that they don't know anything about the whereabouts of robert levinson. they said they didn't know what he was doing in this country or what happened to him after leaving kish island. i also have to stress, yasmin, that kish island is slightly different to the mainland in iran. it's a free trade zone, so it's less controlled and people from a variety of different countries can come and go without a visa. it doesn't have that same sort of strict controls that you do have on mainland iran, but nonetheless, the iranians are saying we don't know anything about him, and because of humanitarian reasons, they have filed a missing person's report with the united nations. >> ali good to talk to you, do you ha

iran for the first time acknowledged that the case involving robert levinson was quote ongoing with notion. levinson vanished in 2007 on iran's island after being apprehended and has not been heard from since back in 2011. and in a statement to nbc news, the family commented on the new developments saying quote, we welcome iran's taking the first step to finally end this nightmare. now, it is time to send him home to the united states. or to us, excuse me. if there are charges, something we have never heard, bob levinson has served more than 12 1/2 years and paid whatever penalty. on sunday however, iran down played the acknowledgment saying the case was just a file about a missing person. president trump weighed in on twitter saying if iran is able to turn on to the u.s. kidnapped former fbi agent, it would be a very positive step. lastly, the u.s. increased the reward for information on levinson to $25 million. >>> and president trump said friday that he is considering accepting vladimir putin's invitation to attend russia's victory day festivities next year but the 2020 election cyc

former fbi agent robert levinson.time admitting to opening a case on the american, so what kind of hope does this bring to the family after 12 years? joining me now is robert's son, dan levinson. thank you so much for joining us, dan. we really appreciate your time this morning. >> thank you for having me. heather: lets' begin with part of what iran said. they said according to the last statement of tehran's justice dealt, mr. robert allen levinson has an ongoing case in the court of tehran. so does had that give you hope, you and your family? and why? >> of course, it does. because it's a significant development because this is the iranian government admitting that he he was kidnapped in ther country. this is the first official statement they've had regarding his whereabouts in a long time, aside from an ar an an article d he was in the hands of security forces. he is in a specific court for criminal cases and he' and he'se cases. we're hopeful this could move things along. heather: president trump tweeted this about

the iranian government has never publicly acknowledged robert levinson's case until now. "today" cnn national correspondent keir simmons is at the iran embassy, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning from this side of the pond on this veterans day, and this is a stunning development, the iranians admitting for the first time that american robert levinson did indeed disappear inside iran, saying there is not a criminal investigation against him and a document seen by nbc news as a missing person and now the president weighing in. overnight, president trump calling for the release of american robert levinson who disappeared more than a decade ago. last heard from in this hostage style video sent in 2010. >> please help me get home. >> reporter: the president tweeting overnight, if iran is able to turn over to the u.s. kidnapped former fbi agent robert levinson who has been missing in iran for 12 years, it would be a very positive step. the president warning iran over enriching uranium. robert levinson has missed many family moments like marriages and the birth of hi

tehran making a stunning acknowledgment about the fate of robert levinson.t development still ahead. plus, a major turning point in history, talking about it all morning, the berlin wall falling 30 years ago today. how president reagan's famous declaration helped to make it happen. i have one kid in each branch of the military. i talk to my wife at least once a day, even though she's on the other side of the world. (announcer) they now get a year of amazon prime on us, and can mix and match their unlimited plans for $30 a line. that's verizon. you're having one more bite! no! one more bite! ♪ kraft. for the win win. and my lack of impulse control,, is about to become your problem. ahh no, come on. i saw you eating poop earlier. hey! my focus is on the road, and that's saving me cash with drivewise. who's the dummy now? whoof! whoof! so get allstate where good drivers save 40% for avoiding mayhem, like me. sorry! he's a baby! >> news alert. force first time iran acknowledging a court case involving fbi's robert levinson. what happened, his whereabouts. >> rya

iran is technology for the first time what it called an ongoing case of retired fbi agent robert levinsonin that country more than a decade ago. ryan has that story. spare this is a mysterious case but let's start with what we know. and if filing with the united nations iran has revealed that there is an ongoing case involving robert levinson and an in iran's revolutionary corporate they did not elaborate at all beyond that. that in itself is a significant shift from what iran said previously mainly that they are not holding him and they don't know where is -- his whereabouts or circumstance. the westerners tried in those courts often end up as bargaining chips. we also know just as we the trump administration raised a report or information that would lead to levinson's safe return to $25 million. in a "washington post" article yesterday jason who spent a year and a half in jail in iran said iran's disclosure could mean that the iran is prepared to do a deal. getting back to what we don't know we don't know for a fact that levinson is in iran. we don't know anything about the case involvi

here's nbc's erin mclaughlin >> reporter: after years of agony a glimmer of hope for the family of robert levinson. >> we believe that my father is still alive and we believe that iran knows exactly what has happened to my father, can find him and bring him home >> reporter: in 2007 the former fbi agent vanished from the iranian island of tisch. last seen eight years ago pleading for help. >> i'm not in very good health i'm running very quickly out o spokesperson for the foreign ministry said a case was opened on secretary of state mike pompeo upped levinson's reward to $25 million. experts say the timing is no coincidence. >> iranian leaders would love to gain leverage with the trump administration because they realize mr. levinson is an important asset for the united states >> reporter: for the levinson family he's not just an asset but a loved one who has yet to meet his new grandchildren >> we know he's working his best every single day to stay strong so he can come home, meet the grandchildren that he's never met. my message to my father is to not give up. >> reporter: a trumpadnistratio nbc

over a decade ago is speaking out after a stunning refer lags from iran >> reporter: tonight robert levinson's family braising president trump's tweet urging iran to turn over to the u.s. the, quote, kidnapped former fbi agent the family telling nbc news they're grateful this is a top priority for the trump administration the american was last heard from in this hostage-style video. >> please help me. >> reporter: he mysteriously disappeared inside iran 12 years ago. >> my father somehow gets to see this, i hope he knows we're pulling for him. >> reporter: now iran admits it it has an open case on levinson, according to a document obtained by nbc news the first time they acknowledged he was in the country. iran's admission comes as the u.s. has increased economic sanctions on iran for supporting terror and trying to get iran to renegotiate a nuclear deal tonight the u.s. administration official tells nbc news iran must hand over its evidence, calling its investigation so far a sham lester >> keir simmons, thank you. >>> from lawmakers to celebrities, new calls to delay the execution, the sched

i'll be all right. >> bill: a fox news alert, there was also hope for the family of robert levinson, the former fbi agent vanished 12 years ago in iran, could he finally be coming home with his daughter will be joining live in a moment. talking now about the murder of their loved ones in mexico as they leave their homes there for the united states across the border. >> is horrible as it is against our community, there were a lot of heroes that night that risked their lives and put their life on the line to rescue my children. with va mortgage rates suddenly dropping to near record lows, my team at newday usa is helping more veterans refinance than ever. the newday va streamline refi is the reason why. it lets you shortcut the loan process and refinance with no income verification, no appraisal, and no out of pocket costs. one call can save you $2000 every year. call my team at newday usa right now. since thanks to sofi, i can see the light at the end of the tunnel as of 12pm today, i am debt free ♪ we have no debt, we don't owe anybody anything, and it's fantastic ♪ >> julie: the hus

. [♪] arthel: a fox news alert on the disappearance of former fbi agent robert levinson.n is acknowledging an open court case about him. but there are still questions about his disappearance. >> this is a very mysterious case. filings in the united nations, iran has revealed that there is an ongoing case involving robert levinson in iran's revolutionary court. they did not elaborate at all beyond that. but that in itself is a significant shift from what iran said previously. namely that they are not holding him, they do not know his whereabouts and know nothing about his circumstances. the revolutionary court referred to in that filing typically handles espionage matters and the westerners tried in those courts are often used as bargaining chips. in a "washington post" editorial that appeared yesterday, jason who himself spent a year and a half in jail in tehran said iran's disclosure could be a hint iran is prepared to do a deal. we don't know for a fact that levinson is in iran. we don't know anything about the case involving him, and we don't know for certain he is ali

. >> for the first time, iran has admitted that it has an ongoing court case involving robert levinsonsappeared there in 2007. >> it is normal that a case is open, but this case is not judicial or criminal as some are trying to portray. >> it's unclear one iran opened this case, but it re-ignites hope that after 12 years, he could return home. president trump tweeted that if he turns him over, it would be a very positive step. it has been enriching uranium. that would be a very bad stuff. less than a week ago, the state department raised its reward to $20 million for information that leads to his safe return. >> we are engaged every day. literally every day. in working to obtain every u.s. citizen who is in hostage. that includes him and all those who are being held by the regi regime. >> he disappeared off the coast of iran in march 2007. the associated press reported that he was on a mission for cia analysts who had no authority to sent him. the state department says the iranian regime was involved in taking him as a hostage. if he still alive, he is now the longest held hostage in u

martha: for the first time, iran is now essentially admitting that they may have former fbi agent, robert levinsontheir custody. he has an ongoing case in the public prosecution and revolutionary court of iran. through years of escalating tensions with iran, with holding hostages for 440 days in 1979. in january of 2016. last week, the detaining of a u.n. nuclear inspector. bob's case has dragged on throughout. he is not the longest held hostage in history. the trumpet administration has put a $25 million reward in place for information that leads to bob's return. the same amount that was offered for. president trump says that it's time to bring bob home. tell me what you think this means that iran is not recognizing that they have their father in custody and that president trump and secretary of state pompeo are pushing hard for the release. >> sarah: absolutely. there is an ongoing case in revolutionary court. this is not related to a missing persons cases. this is where they accuse people of other things. we believe that president trump with this reward and a tweet yesterday has sent a clear me

we had a reward for justice announcement, $25 million for information leading to robert levinson whon detained in iran. speaking to his family members today i thought this really puts a face on the terrible crisis that you see and this is indicative of a pattern of behavior we see in iran, they use these hostages for political means and there is no value for human life. >> the secretary speaking with survivors or family members of survivors of the hostage crisis told amazing stories how they funneled messages to each other through letters and were very clever and so many stories still to be told from that but it is something we can never forget and how this country operates. 5 months of protest in hong kong, they continue one, joshua wong who we have had on the show, he tries to protest pro-democracy, he says this in a piece he wrote in the washington op-ed talking about various measures that passed in the house, others in the senate, he would like this and to come together to the headline china can file its need but on hong kong's movements. this is a moment the international commun

dangling the possibility that they have him and that they may be willing to make a deal over robert levinson plausible deniability to say we never said we had him. >> last week the u.s. government as a whole rose the reward to $20 million for information and u.s. calling on iran to discuss any potential prisoner swap through diplomatic channels. what do you know as to what's happening behind-the-scenes here? >> to be honest i have no special information about what's going on behind-the-scenes. but there's a formula for this. there's been an international a tradition of countries exchanging captured spies, we remember many, many instances of this during the cold war between the soviet union and the united states. there's a tradition of this. and there's also a form you go through in order to make these exchanges possible. in this case there's a complication that the united states does not have the diplomatic presence in iran and therefore an intermediate yery probably be the swiss would be used. there was a video released a couple of years after he was originally taken showing him alive. he w

government for information reading to robert levinson, who of course has been detained in iran. family member today, and i thought this really puts a face with this terrible crisis that you see, and again, this is indicative of a pattern of behavior that we see in iran. they use these hostages for political means. and there's really no value for human life. >> shannon: interesting, the secretary speaking for people who are survivors or family members of survivors of that hostage crisis told amazing stories about how they funneled messages to each other through letters and were very clever and there's so much, so many stories still to be told from that, but it is something we can never forget and how this country operates. i want to ask about hong kong as well, nearly five months of protests there. they continue on. joshua wong, who without a show, in and out of jail there as he tries to protest for pro-democracy, he says this in a piece that he wrote in the washington op-ed. he's talking about various measures that are being passed in the house, others in the senate. would like

certainly these are important sanctions but also to add that element war award was announced for robert levinson now he was a retired f.b.i. officer who went missing in iran back in 2007 the u.s. administration has now announced a 20000000 dollars reward for information about his whereabouts but knows it's reaction to the latest iranian nuclear moves officials making very clear that this was time to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the iranian hostage siege ok so no official reaction to that there in washington but but what is being said in the wider political community. but what they're seeing is that this is an ongoing process since president trump withdrew from that iranian deal back in may last year the u.s. is gradually introduce sanctions along the way sanctions that have intensified as iran has pulled away from some of its assurances within the nuclear deal but in the midst of all of the very important point to note is that just 3 days ago president trump signed waivers allowing china and russia to continue to assist iran in its peaceful nuclear development now there's much speculati

robert elevenson who went missing there in 2007. iran has repeatedly offered conflicting accounts about what exactly happened to him. levinson's family says they hopes this is the first step to ending what they call a nightmare. >> and what may be one of the worst attempts in the history of the genre, a plane crashed in texas after dumping a load of pink water to reveal a baby girl was on the way the crash happened in september but the ntsb just released a report into what went wrong. they're saying the crop dusting plane stalled and then crashed the good news is the pilot somehow was not injured in that. my advice, just send a blast email to your family >>> a massive swath of the country about to get the coldest air of the season. more than 100 cold weather records could be broken in the next few days as a . >>> another morning with coastal fog that's extending its way into the valleys 37. sha look at downtown san jose. you can see the dense through there, a1 degrees. limited visibility in santa rosa, down to about a krrtth quarter of a mile, santa cruz a quarter of a mile. down through san jose, less than two inches. as we h