Washington - The FBI has launched a Facebook page in Farsi to solicit tips on the whereabouts of Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent who went missing in Iran nine years ago.

The new site, which went live in the last few weeks, is part of a broader effort to appeal directly to the Iranian public for information about Levinson’s disappearance and comes as the FBI continues its yearslong search for him. Farsi is the predominant language of Iran.

Levinson, now 67, disappeared from Iran’s Kish Island in March 2007. A 2013 Associated Press investigation revealed that he was working for the CIA on an unauthorized intelligence-gathering mission.

The case drew renewed attention last month when Levinson was not part of a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Iranian governments that set free four other Americans who had been held in Iran’s custody, including Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian. Secretary of State John Kerry said at the time that officials did not know whether Levinson was still alive.... Read More: VIN