By Jennifer Hansler, Mohammed Tawfeeq and Jeremy Diamond

Updated Mar 31, 2026, 5:48 PM ET
PUBLISHED Mar 31, 2026, 5:39 PM ET

Shelly Kittleson is seen in this image posted to her Instagram account.

from Shelly Kittleson/Instagram

American journalist Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped in Baghdad, Iraq, on Tuesday, sources and her media outlet said.

The US government is tracking her kidnapping and working with the Iraqis to secure her release, a US official said.

It is unclear who is responsible for her abduction, but sources said that she was warned of threats against her, including kidnapping, from Iranian proxy group Kataib Hezbollah.

US Assistant Secretary of State Dylan Johnson said in a post on X that “an individual with ties to the Iranian-aligned militia group Kataib Hizballah believed to be involved in the kidnapping has been taken into custody by Iraqi authorities.”

Kataib Hezbollah is an Iranian-backed militia group that has repeatedly targeted Americans. Kittleson is a journalist specializing in the Middle East and Afghanistan, with work published in international, US and Italian outlets.

According to one source familiar with the warning, the US government recently warned Kittleson of a Kataib Hezbollah plot to kidnap or kill her. The warning came while she was already reporting in Iraq.

Another source said that US and Iraqi officials had been tracking threats by an Iranian proxy against Kittleson, including threats to abduct or kill her, and had warned her to leave multiple times in recent weeks.

“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,” Johnson said Tuesday, without elaborating on the threats.

Al-Monitor, a US-based news organization, confirmed Kittleson’s kidnapping earlier Tuesday and called for her “safe and immediate release.”

Al-Monitor said it was “deeply alarmed” by the abduction of Kittleson, who works as a contributor for the news outlet.

“We call for her safe and immediate release. We stand by her vital reporting from the region and call for her swift return to continue her important work,” the statement added.

Iraq’s Ministry of Interior said in an earlier statement that a female foreign journalist was kidnapped in central Baghdad by unknown individuals Tuesday evening.

Iraqi security forces apprehended one of the suspects and seized one of the vehicles used in the kidnapping, according to the statement. It said security forces have launched an operation to track down those responsible and secure her release.

The US Embassy in Iraq has repeatedly warned US citizens to leave the country since the conflict with Iran began in late February, cautioning that Iranian-backed militias could attempt to kidnap Americans. “Do not travel to Iraq for any reason. Depart immediately if you are there,” the embassy said in its latest statement over the weekend.

CNN’s Dalia Abdelwahab and Aqeel Najim contributed reporting.