American Journalist Shelly Kittleson Freed After Kidnapping By Iran-Backed Militia In Iraq
on Apr 07, 2026
This article was originally published on April 7, and was updated on April 8.
Kittleson Was Released After 8 Days In Captivity
Eight days ago, on March 31, American freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped in Iraq while reporting on ongoing conflict in the Middle East region.
Today, on April 7, Kittleson, age 49, was released, with an anonymous Iraqi official telling the Associated Press that her release follows her detainment in Baghdad, Iraq.
A statement was released by the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah, which stated the release was being done “in appreciation of the patriotic stances” of outgoing Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.
Further, Kataib Hezbollah said that Kittleson must leave the country of Iraq immediately upon release.
Kataib Hezbollah is affiliated with the Iranian Quds Force, which is part of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
The U.S. State Department had previously warned Kittleson of the risk posed by her presence in Iraq, with Assistant Sec. of State Dylan Johnson writing on X, formerly Twitter, “[We] 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.”
In conjunction with the FBI and the State Department, the Department of War as well as the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council were all involved with efforts to bring her back.
A prisoner exchange was eventually arranged, with the details of the exchangre remaining sparse.
Upon her release on April 7, Sec. of State Marco Rubio posted on X, stating:
“This resolution reflects the Trump Administration’s steadfast commitment to the safety and security of American citizens, no matter where they are in the world. Under President Trump, the wrongful detention or kidnapping of U.S. nationals will not be tolerated. We will continue to use every tool to bring Americans home and to hold accountable those responsible.”
He added, “We are relieved that this American is now free and are working to support her safe departure from Iraq.”
See Sec. Rubio’s full post, here:
I am pleased to announce the release of American journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was recently kidnapped by members of the foreign terrorist organization Kata’ib Hizballah near Baghdad, Iraq.
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) April 8, 2026
The U.S. Department of State extends its appreciation to the Federal Bureau of…
According to reporting by the WSLS 10 News, Kittleson’s mother, Barb, who lives in the small rural community of Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, went to her local library to write an email to Kittleson in hopes of encouraging her to return home.
Kittleson left the United States in 1995, and eventually began working as a journalist abroad. The last time Barb saw her daughter was in 2002 when she visited Italy, where Kittleson was residing at the time.
According to the LA Times, Barb simply nodded her head affirmatively when asked if she misses her daughter, noting that she has prepared Kittleson’s bedroom if she wishes to return.
Speaking with USA Today, Barb said of her daughter, “She just wanted to help people. She’s just a journalist.”
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International Conflict Amid Kittleson’s Release
It remains unclear if the deadline of 8 p.m. on April 7 that President Donald Trump gave Iran for a deal to be made played a role in her being set free.
In the morning of April 7, President Trump posted on Truth Social, “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”
See Trump’s full post, here:
Over the past few weeks, Iranian officials reportedly struggled to find common ground with U.S. negotiators, but arrived at terms conducive for a 2-week ceasefire to the war late on April 7.
During a news conference on April 6, President Trump spoke at length on the conflict, expressing his desire for the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened, stating, “We have to have a deal that’s acceptable to me, and part of that deal is going to be, we want free traffic of oil and everything else.”
Kittleson’s release was much earlier than another recent kidnapping conducted by Kataib Hezbollah, which saw Russian-Israeli researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov be held captive for 903 days, from 2023 to 2025.
As of the afternoon of April 8, Kittleson has not yet released a statement.
Prior to being kidnapped, Kittleson’s last post on social media was a link to one of her stories, published on the Substack Middle East Uncovered, which can be seen, here:
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