Senior US official refutes Arab media claims of a breakthrough in negotiations for the release of Israeli-Russian academic Elizabeth Tsurkov, abducted in Iraq in March 2023.
A senior US official on Saturday vehemently denied Arab media reports suggesting a breakthrough in negotiations for the release of Elizabeth Tsurkov, an Israeli-Russian academic abducted in Iraq in March 2023.
The official stressed to Ynet that the United States has no intention of consenting to the release of Mohammad Reza Nouri, a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who has been implicated in the 2022 killing of American citizen Stephen Troell in Baghdad. Nouri’s potential release has reportedly been raised as part of the ongoing talks.
Despite Tsurkov not holding US citizenship, the official noted her status as a doctoral student at Princeton University and affirmed that the United States is the sole country actively engaged in efforts to secure her release.
Earlier Saturday, conflicting reports emerged regarding the state of negotiations. AFP indicated that a deal for Tsurkov’s release remained stalled, awaiting American approval for Nouri’s release.
In contrast, three sources, including one government official, informed the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that negotiations for Tsurkov’s release had reached their final stages. “The negotiations were long and very exhausting, but they ended with a deal that included the payment of a ransom,” one source stated.
Iraqi sources also told the Saudi-owned Al Hadath news network on Saturday that “serious efforts” are underway to secure Tsurkov’s release, with a separate report suggesting a deal could be finalized within 10 days.
Tsurkov, 38, a dual Israeli and Russian citizen, was kidnapped in Baghdad on March 26, 2023, while conducting field research. Israel said in July of that year that Tsurkov is being held by Kata’ib Hezbollah, a Shiite militia group.
In January, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said that Tsurkov is alive and stressed that Al Sudani is working for her release.
A subsequent report stated that Tsurkov is expected to be released soon in exchange for the release of eight Hezbollah terrorists by Israel.
Adam Boehler, US President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy for Hostage Response, last month reiterated his call on Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to free Tsurkov.
“Iraq is a tough country to run. That said, I am very disappointed in the Prime Minister who, so far, seems more interested in words than actions. I hope this changes IMMEDIATELY and we can bring Princeton Student Elizabeth Tsurkov home from the hands of Kata’ib Hezbollah,” Boehler wrote in a post on social media site X.
