Israeli media: Tsurkov may be in Iran

Shafaq News/ Israeli-Russian researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov, who was abducted in Baghdad in 2023 by the Iran-aligned group Kataib Hezbollah, was possibly transferred to Iran, according to a senior Iraqi official.

Speaking to Ynet, the official said Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani "does not know where Tsurkov is being held" and described it as "a stroke of luck she’s still alive. Usually, captives don’t survive the interrogations."

Diplomatic efforts to secure Tsurkov’s release have intensified. Former US officials Adam Boehler and Representative Mike Waltz have joined the negotiations. Boehler traveled to Iraq about three weeks ago to meet senior officials and push for progress in locating her, Reuters reported on Monday.

He has reportedly warned Iraq of economic and diplomatic consequences, holding Baghdad accountable for securing her release.

Emma Tsurkov, Elizabeth’s sister, told Ynet that she had spoken directly with Boehler and met his team. “The updates are encouraging. It’s amazing that in just a few weeks of determined effort, they’ve made more progress than in the previous two years.”

Responding to Iraqi officials’ claims that Tsurkov may have been moved to Iran, Emma Tsurkov dismissed the assertion. “I’ve heard that before. If I had a dollar for every time an Iraqi official told me that, I could buy Iraq. It’s a convenient excuse, but it’s not true. She is not in Iran. The Iraqi government knows exactly who is holding her because the terror group detaining her is part of the Iraqi system.”

Tsurkov was kidnapped in March 2023 in Baghdad’s Karrada district. Reports suggest that Iran is pushing for a prisoner exchange deal. According to Ynet, the proposal includes the release of Emad Ahwaz, a naval officer linked to Hezbollah and captured by Israel; Iranian Reza Nouri, imprisoned in the US; and an Iranian described by Ynet as an “infiltrator” held in Cyprus.

An Iraqi official told the Israeli outlet that while there is no precise information on her location, Prime Minister al-Sudani "does know who kidnapped her."

The official added that al-Sudani would prefer to hand Tsurkov over to the U.S. but genuinely does not know where she is being held.

“We believe Iran is involved and giving the orders,” the Iraqi official said.

Nearly a year after her abduction, a video surfaced showing Tsurkov pleading in Hebrew for her release. In the recording, she confessed to working for Israel’s Mossad and the CIA and called for an end to Israel’s “heinous attacks.” Before her kidnapping, Tsurkov was a vocal critic of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and had publicly stated, “If I’m kidnapped, don’t pressure anyone to secure my release.”