American journalist Kittleson abducted in Baghdad

The journalist appears to have been kidnapped by an Iran proxy group operating in Iraq and could be related to the month-old Iran bombing campaign

By Eric J. Lyman

Published: April 1, 2026 2:45am

American freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped in Iraq, according to government and media sources.

Al-Monitor, a publication Kittleson works for, confirmed her abduction and called for her “safe and immediate release.”

Reports said that the U.S. government is tracking developments.

As of early Wednesday local time, it remains unclear who is responsible for the abduction, though in a social media post, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Dylan Johnson said Kittleson was likely kidnapped by Iranian proxy group Katib Hezbollah. Johnson said the State Department warned Kittleson of the risks she faced through her reporting.

“We will continue to coordinate with the FBI to ensure [Kittleson’s] release as quickly as possible,” Johnson wrote on Twitter.

If the suspected connection with Kat-ib Hezbolah is accurate, it could mean the abduction is connected to the month-old israeli- and U.S.-led conflict with Iran.

Kittleson is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in Foreign Policy, BBC World Service, and Politico, in addition to Al-Monitor.