Donald Trump's administration officially requested Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani to secure the release of Israeli-Russian hostage Elizabeth Tsurkov "as soon as possible," a report by the London-based Qatari news outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed said on Monday, citing two unidentified Iraqi officials.
Washington warned of the potential political and economic consequences if Tsurkov remained in captivity, according to the officials.
The Iraqi government, with the assistance of Shiite political leaders, resumed efforts to address Tsurkov's captivity in order to avoid US measures, the officials stated.
Tsurkov was kidnapped in March 2023 in Baghdad's Karrada district and has since been held captive by the Iran-backed Shia militia Kataib Hezbollah.
Kataib Hezbollah have not officially claimed responsibility for her abduction, but are known to prevent the entry of Iraqi government forces into their stronghold of Jurf al-Sakhar, south of Baghdad, according to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.
A senior Iraqi official stated that US Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Adam Boehler made direct contact with Iraqi officials, hinting to Al-Sudani of a "package of US political and economic sanctions against Iraq should Tsurkov remain captive, and holding Iraq's federal government accountable for her swift return, the report stated.
Washington takes the lead
A different official at Iraq's National Security Council told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that "Washington has now become the main negotiator for Tsurkov’s release, rather than Israel."
The same official also described the situation as "extremely embarrassing" for the Iraqi government, given that no militia has responded to the crisis, and further added that the government has been making "genuine and significant efforts on this issue for months," according to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.
The situation is complicated by the kidnappers' lack of response and that their motive is not financial ransom, according to the official.
Only one video has been released of Tsurkov since her kidnapping, in which she spoke Hebrew and claimed that she had ties to Mossad, entering Iraq to "exacerbate intra-Shiite conflicts" and "support protests in Iraq."