An American journalist kidnapped in Baghdad may soon be heading home — but not without strings attached.
A post attributed to an Iran-backed militia indicates that 49-year-old Shelly Kittleson is set to be released roughly a week after her abduction in Iraq’s capital, with a key condition: she must leave the country immediately.
The message was posted on Telegram by a figure identified as Abu Mujahid Aasaf, described as a security official for Hezbollah Brigades, an Iran-aligned armed group operating in Iraq.
“Security official Abu Mujahid al-Asaf, in the name of God, the Most High, and in appreciation of the patriotic stances of the outgoing Prime Minister, has decided to release the American defendant, Shelley Kittleson, on the condition that she leaves the country immediately,” Aasaf said in a translated statement.
“This initiative will not be repeated in the future; we are in a state of war waged by the Zionist-American enemy against Islam, and in such situations, many considerations are disregarded,” the post continued.
Kittleson, a journalist from Monticello, Wisconsin, had been held since her reported kidnapping in Baghdad, a city that has increasingly become a flashpoint amid rising regional tensions tied to the broader Iran conflict.
More over at The New York Post:
Kidnapped American journalist Shelly Kittleson set to be released, says Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah https://t.co/SFA3bYt5JN pic.twitter.com/HIYro3PrUZ
— New York Post (@nypost) April 7, 2026
