By Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel

Democratic and Republican lawmakers are again attempting to pressure Iran in the case of hostage Bob Levinson.

Levinson, of Coral Springs, disappeared 12 years ago. He’s the longest-held American hostage in U.S. history.

A former agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI, Levinson was working for the CIA when he planned a trip in 2007 to Kish Island, an Iranian resort island in the Persian Gulf.

He was there trying to cultivate an informant for the CIA. A United Nations report concluded Iranian authorities detained Levinson at his hotel on March 9, 2007, and have held him ever since. Iran has denied the claim.

On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, a Democrat whose district includes Coral Springs, and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., introduced legislation calling on Iran to fulfill its promises to assist in the Levinson case.

Deutch and other Florida leaders have been calling attention for years to Levinson. Deutch, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and International Terrorism, was joined by other lawmakers, including U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, a Palm Beach County Democrat.

"Twelve years after Bob disappeared, we have not forgotten about him,” Deutch said in a statement distributed by his office. "We're continuing to bring attention to his case and urge the [Trump] Administration to prioritize Bob’s return.... Bringing Americans home must be our priority, and with this resolution we are once again asking the world to remember Bob and help to bring him home.”