US Journalist Released After Being Abducted in Iraq, Rubio Says

State Secretary Marco Rubio said U.S. officials are working to ensure Shelly Kittleson’s safe departure from Iraq.

U.S. journalist Shelly Kittleson poses for a cellphone photo in a cafe in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 30, 2026. AP Photo

American journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was abducted in Iraq last week, has been released, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed in a statement on April 7.

Kittleson, a freelance journalist who contributes to Al-Monitor, was abducted by the Iranian-backed terrorist group Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, last week.