The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
State Department spokesperson Dylan Johnson said in a March 31 statement the department was “aware of the reported kidnapping of an American journalist in Baghdad, Iraq,” adding that it had warned the journalist about threats against her.
Johnson said then that U.S. officials believed one of the people involved in the kidnapping had ties to Kataib Hezbollah.
Kittleson, a freelance journalist who has contributed to multiple publications including POLITICO, has reported across the Middle East, including from Baghdad and Damascus, Syria, for years.
Alex Plitsas, a CNN national security analyst and Kittleson’s designated point of contact in the U.S., said in a Tuesday social media post that a video had provided proof of life for the kidnapped journalist.
“We are still awaiting Shelley to be transferred to US offficials,” he wrote. “We welcome the news of her pending release but will save celebratory statements until she is transferred.”
The U.S. military killed a senior leader of Kataib Hezbollah — which has for decades targeted Americans across the Middle East — in 2024.
Several media advocacy organizations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders, sent a joint letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday urging the U.S. government to formally designate Kittleson as a hostage and secure her safe release.
