US to Iraq: Release Elizabeth Tsurkov - or face the consequences

The United States has directly informed the Iraqi government that either it secures the release of hostage Elizabeth Tsurkov or relations between the two countries will be harmed, according to a report today (Thursday) by Kann.

US Hostages Envoy Adam Boehler published the following statement regarding Tsurkov's case on X:

"Elizabeth Tsurkov is a Princeton student held hostage in Iraq! The Iraqi Prime Minister consistently made false promises to the prior administration about releasing her. BUT NOW President Donald Trump IS ON TO YOU! If Elizabeth Tsurkov does not come home NOW than [sic] then Iraqi Prime Minister is either incapable and should be FiRED or worse COMPLICIT. Bring Elizabeth home now!"

Tsurkov is a Princeton student and Russian-Israeli dual citizen who entered Iraq for research purposes when she was kidnapped by Kata'ib Hezbollah, a pro-Iran Iraqi militia in March 2023, a fact the militia denied for months.

On November 13, 2023, a 4-minute video was aired on Iraqi TV which showed Tsurkov to still be alive, though it could not be authenticated and Tsurkov identified neither those keeping her captive nor her location. In the video, which appears to have been made under duress, Tsurkov said that she worked for the CIA and the Mossad, something her family denies.

Multiple human rights organizations have written to the Iraqi government to secure her release, and Senators Robert Menendez and Cory Booker wrote to the Biden administration to try and secure her freedom.

According to some reports, an attempt is being made to secure Tsurkov's freedom through an indirect hostage deal, whereby Israel will release Hezbollah members it captured during the ground operation in Lebanon in exchange for the militia releasing Tsurkov.

The ceasefire in the north continues to hold, as the IDF maintains its positions along the Lebanese side of the border until February 18.