TEHRAN, April 13: A former FBI agent is being held by Iranian authorities, the Financial Times on Friday quoted an associate of the missing American as saying. Diplomats fear the case of Robert Levinson could mark a new twist in the round of apparent tit-for-tat detentions involving the United States, Britain and Iran, which began with the detention by US forces in Iraq of five Iranians in January.

Washington has made an official inquiry to Iran about Levinson, who US officials say went there on private business.

Tehran says it is trying to find out what happened to him.

The Financial Times quoted Dawud Salahuddin — himself a US citizen wanted by US authorities for an alleged murder in 1980 — as saying he and Levinson had shared a hotel room on the Gulf island of Kish on March 8.

Iranian officials in plain clothes detained and questioned Salahuddin about his Iranian passport, Salahuddin said.

On his release a day later Levinson had disappeared and the Iranian officials told Salahuddin he had left Iran.

—Reuters