The Trump administration issued its first public statement on Tuesday evening, March 31, after freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson, an American citizen, was kidnapped in broad daylight in central Baghdad.
The abduction happened near the Baghdad Hotel on Saadoun Street. Armed men forced the 49-year-old reporter into a vehicle as part of a two-car operation.
Iraqi security forces chased the kidnappers before one vehicle crashed during the pursuit, and authorities arrested a suspect with direct ties to Kataib Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia designated as a terrorist organization by the United States.
Kittleson, who has reported for outlets including Al-Monitor, the BBC, and Foreign Policy, has covered conflicts across Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan for years. She lives in Rome but traveled to Baghdad despite repeated warnings.
The U.S. State Department confirmed it had given Kittleson a specific duty-to-warn briefing about threats against her before the trip.
Officials said they are now working directly with the FBI and Iraqi authorities to secure her release as quickly as possible.
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In a statement posted on X by Assistant Secretary of State Dylan Johnson, the department said: “The U.S. Department of State is aware of the reported kidnapping of an American journalist in Baghdad, Iraq.
“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.”
The statement added that an individual linked to Kataib Hezbollah is in Iraqi custody. It also reminded Americans that Iraq carries a Level 4 travel advisory, the highest warning level, which tells U.S. citizens not to travel there for any reason and to leave the country immediately if they are there.
“Americans, including members of the press, should adhere to all travel advisories,” the statement said.
The kidnapping comes at a tense moment in the Middle East. The United States and Israel have carried out military operations against Iran and its proxy forces in recent months.
Kataib Hezbollah has launched attacks on U.S. interests in the past and is a key part of Iran’s network of militias operating inside Iraq.
Al-Monitor, one of the outlets where Kittleson contributes, released its own statement Tuesday. “We are deeply alarmed by the kidnapping of Al-Monitor contributor Shelly Kittleson in Iraq on Tuesday. We call for her safe and immediate release.”
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Iraqi officials had also confirmed the abduction but gave few additional details apart from revealing that one suspect was arrested, but the second vehicle escaped, and Kittleson’s exact whereabouts remain unknown.
Kittleson kidnapping
Kittleson is not the first Westerner taken by Iran-aligned groups in Baghdad. In 2023, academic Elizabeth Tsurkov was kidnapped and held by Kataib Hezbollah for nearly two years before her release in a negotiated deal.
U.S. officials have not said whether they believe the current kidnapping is directly linked to the wider conflict with Iran.
However, the timing has caused concern that militias may be targeting Americans to pressure Washington.
The State Department declined to offer more details, citing privacy and ongoing negotiations.
Kittleson’s friends and colleagues described her as a dedicated reporter who knows the risks of working in the region but felt compelled to cover events on the ground.
The incident has reignited debate about the dangers encountered by journalists in Iraq.
Despite years of U.S. investment in Iraqi security forces, Iran-backed militias still operate with significant freedom in parts of the country, including Baghdad.
