Administration

Rubio says US journalist Shelly Kittleson is free, working on safe departure from Iraq

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by Ashleigh Fields - 04/08/26 9:39 AM ET

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by Ashleigh Fields - 04/08/26 9:39 AM ET

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio said late Tuesday that American journalist Shelly Kittleson was freed after being held hostage by an Iran-backed militia in Iraq for a little over a week.

“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,” Rubio wrote in a post on X.

“We will continue to use every tool to bring Americans home and to hold accountable those responsible. We are relieved that this American is now free and are working to support her safe departure from Iraq,” he added.

Kittleson’s whereabouts are currently unclear, but the Iraqi militia who held her hostage said she must “leave the country immediately” upon her release, according to The Associated Press.

“We are still awaiting Shelley to be transferred to US officials. We welcome the news of her pending release but will save celebratory statements until she is transferred,” Alex Plitsas, a national security analyst at CNN and Kittleson’s contact in the U.S., wrote in a Tuesday post on X.

“The video that was released provided proof of life. We will have more to say when she is in US hands.”

In exchange for her freedom, Iraqi authorities freed six Kataib Hezbollah members, most of whom were associated with attacks on U.S. bases in Syria, according to the AP.

The militia said similar exchanges would not occur moving forward but said Kittleson was freed “in appreciation of the patriotic stances of the outgoing” Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, per AP.

Kittleson is a freelance journalist who worked abroad often and used Rome as her base for some time, the outlet reported. Her reporting on the Middle East has been widely recognized. U.S. authorities reportedly warned her of threats against her prior to the capture.

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