An American journalist has been kidnapped by an Iran-backed militia in the Middle East as President Donald Trump’s war continues to rock the region.
Freelance reporter Shelly Kittleson was abducted in Iraq on Tuesday, according to Al-Monitor, a news outlet covering the Middle East for which she works as a contributor.
“We are deeply alarmed by the kidnapping of Al-Monitor contributor Shelly Kittleson in Iraq on Tuesday,” it said in a statement. “We call for her safe and immediate release. We stand by her vital reporting from the region and call for her swift return to continue her important work.”
The kidnapping was also confirmed by Alex Plitsas, a CNN national security analyst and Kittleson’s designated U.S. point of contact, who said her whereabouts and condition were “unknown.”
“I can confirm that my friend Shelly Kittleson was abducted and may have [been] taken hostage in Baghdad by Khatib Hezbollah,” he wrote in an X post, referring to an Iraqi militia backed by Iran.
Footage circulating online shows an individual being shoved into a car by several individuals in Baghdad.
Iraq’s Ministry of Interior said in a statement that a foreign journalist had been kidnapped, though it did not provide further details about the individual. Authorities have arrested one of the suspects and seized one of the vehicles used in the crime.
The State Department said the suspect taken into custody had ties to Kataib Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia heavily sanctioned by the U.S.
“The State Department previously fulfilled our duty to warn this individual of threats against them and we will continue to coordinate with the FBI to ensure their release as quickly as possible,” Assistant Secretary of State Dylan Johnson said in a statement.
On Sunday, the agency released a security alert warning that Iran and its aligned militias may target American universities in Baghdad, Sulaymaniyah, and Dohuk, along with other universities perceived to be associated with the U.S.
“Iran and Iran-aligned terrorist militias have conducted widespread attacks on U.S. citizens, targets associated with the United States throughout Iraq,” the alert read. “U.S. citizens should leave Iraq now.”
Johnson said on Tuesday that Iraq remains at Level 4 or “Do Not Travel” on the Travel Advisory.
“The State Department strongly advise[s] all Americans, including members of the press, to adhere to all travel advisories,” he said.
Kittleson’s social media pages indicate that she has been reporting from the Middle East and Afghanistan, though Al-Monitor said she was most recently based in Rome, Italy.
Just last week, she posted an image of the Syrian desert taken sometime this month. Earlier posts show that she had been reporting in Aleppo, Syria, since January.
Her work has appeared in Foreign Policy and New Lines magazines, the BBC, and Politico.
When reached for comment, the White House referred the Daily Beast to the State Department’s statement.
