White House says believes missing American Levinson is no longer in Iran

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and his administration have repeatedly pressed Iranians to provide information on former FBI agent Robert Levinson, an American who went missing in Iran eight years ago, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Tuesday.

The White House believes Levinson is no longer in Iran, Earnest said at a news briefing, but will continue to press the Iranians for "as much information as they have about his whereabouts."

Earnest said the White House have been in touch with the Levinson family as recently as December. "We're obviously very sensitive to the concerns of the Levinson family," Earnest said.

Asked if the U.S. government knew if Levinson was alive, he said he did not have an updated assessment.

(Reporting by Roberta Rampton and Doina Chiacu; Writing by Megan Cassella)