The development came after the powerful Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah said in a statement that it had decided to free Kittleson, who was abducted on March 31. Its condition was that Kittleson must “leave the country immediately” upon her release.
kAm%H@ @77:4:2=D H:E9:? E96 >:=:E:2[ H9@ DA@<6 @? 4@?5:E:@? @7 2?@?J>:EJ 3642FD6 E96J H6C6 ?@E 2FE9@C:K65 E@ 4@>>6?E AF3=:4=J[ E@=5 %96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD E92E 😕 6I492?86 7@C 7C66:?8 z:EE=6D@?[ D6G6C2= >6>36CD @7 E96 8C@FA H9@ 925 AC6G:@FD=J 366? 56E2:?65 3J xC2B: 2FE9@C:E:6D H@F=5 36 C6=62D65]k^Am
kAm&]$] $64C6E2CJ @7 $E2E6 |2C4@ #F3:@ 4@?7:C>65 z:EE=6D@?VD C6=62D6 😕 2 DE2E6>6?E 62C=J (65?6D52J] w6 D2:5 @? )[ “(6 2C6 C6=:6G65 E92E E9:D p>6C:42? 😀 ?@H 7C665 2?5 2C6 H@C<:?8 E@ DFAA@CE 96C D276 56A2CEFC6 7C@> xC2B]”k^Am
kAm#F3:@ E92?<65 xC2B: 2FE9@C:E:6D[ 2D H6== 2D E96 uqx 2?5 &]$] s676?D6 s6A2CE>6?E 2?5 @E96C &]$] 286?4:6D 7@C E96:C H@C< E@H2C5 D64FC:?8 z:EE=6D@?’D C6=62D6]k^Am
k9amp @?6\@77 C6=62D6k^9am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ @?6 @7 EH@ xC2B: @77:4:2=D H9@ 4@?7:C>65 96C C6=62D6 367@C6 E96 &]$] 2??@F?46>6?E[ z:EE=6D@? H2D 7C665 😕 E96 27E6C?@@?] %96 @77:4:2=D[ H9@ DA@<6 E@ E96 p! @? 4@?5:E:@? @7 2?@?J>:EJ 3642FD6 E96J H6C6 ?@E 2FE9@C:K65 E@ 4@>>6?E AF3=:4=J[ 5:5 ?@E D92C6 96C 4FCC6?E H96C623@FED 3FE D2:5 E92E AC:@C E@ 96C C6=62D6[ z:EE=6D@? 925 366? 96=5 😕 q289525]k^Am
kAmx? :ED DE2E6>6?E[ z2E2:3 w6K3@==29 D2:5 :ED 564:D:@? 42>6 “:? 2AAC64:2E:@? @7 E96 A2EC:@E:4 DE2?46D @7 E96 @FE8@:?8Q xC2B: !C:>6 |:?:DE6C |@92>>65 $9:2 2=\$F52?:[ H:E9@FE 8:G:?8 >@C6 56E2:=D]k^Am
kAmxE 25565 E92E “E9:D :?:E:2E:G6 H:== ?@E 36 C6A62E65 😕 E96 7FEFC6]”k^Am
kAmx? |@F?E w@C63[ (:D4@?D:?[ z:EE=6D@?VD >@E96C E@=5 2 C6A@CE6C H9@ @4<65 @? 96C 5@@C %F6D52J E92E uqx 286?ED H6C6 2E 96C 9@>6] p ?F>36C @7 A6@A=6 4@F=5 36 D66? D:EE:?8 2E q2C3 z:EE=6D@?’D <:E496? E23=6]k^Am
kAmx?:E:2==J D96 D2:5 E92E 96C 52F89E6C 925 ?@E J6E 366? 7C665[ 3FE H96? 2 C6A@CE6C C6EFC?65 =2E6C[ D96 D2:5 D96 5:5 ?@E @H :7 96C 52F89E6C 925 366? C6=62D65 @C ?@E] }@ FA52E6 7C@> E96 z:EE=6D@? 72>:=J H2D :>>65:2E6=J 2G2:=23=6 27E6C #F3:@ 4@?7:C>65 96C C6=62D6]k^Am
kAmr2C@=:?6 r=2?4J[ 2 DA@<6DA6CD@? 7@C E96 uqx’D |:=H2F<66 7:6=5 @77:46[ 564=:?65 E@ 4@>>6?E]k^Am
kAmz2E2:3 w6K3@==29 925 ?@E AC6G:@FD=J 24@H=65865 E92E :E 235F4E65 z:EE=6D@?[ 2=E9@F89 3@E9 &]$] 2?5 xC2B: @77:4:2=D 925 3=2>65 E96 8C@FA]k^Am
k9amp C6DA64E65 ;@FC?2=:DE 😕 4@?7=:4E K@?6Dk^9am
kAmz:EE=6D@?[ ch[ 925 =:G65 23C@25 7@C J62CD 367@C6 E96 <:5?2AA:?8[ FD:?8 #@>6 2D 96C 32D6 7@C 2 E:>6 2?5 3F:=5:?8 2 C6DA64E65 ;@FC?2=:D> 42C66C 24C@DD E96 |:55=6 t2DE[ A2CE:4F=2C=J 😕 xC2B 2?5 $JC:2] {:<6 >2?J 7C66=2?46CD[ D96 @7E6? H@C<65 @? 2 D9@6DEC:?8 3F586E 2?5 H:E9@FE E96 AC@E64E:@?D 277@C565 3J =2C86 ?6HD @C82?:K2E:@?D E@ DE277]k^Am
kAm$96 925 6?E6C65 xC2B 282:? D9@CE=J 367@C6 96C 235F4E:@?] k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^:C2B\<:5?2AA65\;@FC?2=:DE\3289525\D96==J\<:EE=6D@?\cff`gh356dh`d3644b7dab2a634h57geQm&]$] @77:4:2=D 92G6 D2:5 E92E E96J H2C?65 96Ck^2m >F=E:A=6 E:>6D @7 E9C62ED 282:?DE 96C[ 3FE E92E D96 5:5 ?@E H2?E E@ =62G6]k^Am
kAmxC2B: @77:4:2=D 92G6 D2:5 E92E EH@ 42CD H6C6 :?G@=G65 😕 E96 <:5?2AA:?8[ @?6 @7 H9:49 4C2D965 H9:=6 36:?8 AFCDF65 ?62C E96 E@H? @7 2=\w2DH2 😕 q23:= AC@G:?46[ D@FE9H6DE @7 q289525] %96 ;@FC?2=:DE H2D E96? EC2?D76CC65 E@ 2 D64@?5 42C E92E 7=65 E96 D46?6]k^Am
kAm%9C66 @E96C xC2B: @77:4:2=D D2:5 62C=:6C %F6D52J E92E 2EE6>AED E@ ?68@E:2E6 96C C6=62D6 925 CF? :?E@ @3DE24=6D] %96 EH@ xC2B: D64FC:EJ @77:4:2=D 2?5 @?6 @77:4:2= 7C@> E96 AC@\xC2? r@@C5:?2E:@? uC2>6H@C< A@=:E:42= 3=@4 DA@<6 E@ E96 p! @? 4@?5:E:@? @7 2?@?J>:EJ 3642FD6 E96J H6C6 ?@E 2FE9@C:K65 E@ DA62< 23@FE E96 D6?D:E:G6 42D6 AF3=:4=J]k^Am
k9amp D925@HJ >:=:E:2 8C@FAk^9am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ @?6 @7 E96 D64FC:EJ @77:4:2=D[ 2 >6>36C @7 E96 !@AF=2C |@3:=:K2E:@? u@C46D[ 2 4@2=:E:@? @7 xC2?\324<65 >:=:E:2D E92E 😀 ?@>:?2==J F?56C E96 4@?EC@= @7 E96 xC2B: >:=:E2CJ[ 925 366? E2D<65 H:E9 4@>>F?:42E:?8 H:E9 E96 235F4E@CD E@ D64FC6 z:EE=6D@?’D C6=62D6 3FE 925 CF? :?E@ 5:77:4F=E:6D 😕 4@>>F?:42E:?8 H:E9 E96 z2E2:3 w6K3@==29 =6256CD9:A]k^Am
kAm“%96 AC:>2CJ 492==6?86 😀 E92E E96 =6256CD @7 E96 z2E2:3 >:=:E:2 — DA64:7:42==J[ E96 4@>>2?56CD @7 E96 32EE2=:@?D — 2C6 ?@H96C6 E@ 36 7@F?5] }@ @?6 @HD E96:C H96C623@FED[ 2?5 E96 AC@46DD @7 6DE23=:D9:?8 4@?E24E H:E9 E96> 😀 6IEC6>6=J 4@>A=6I[” E96 D64FC:EJ @77:4:2=D D2:5]k^Am
kAm“%96D6 =6256CD 92G6 8@?6 F?56C8C@F?5[ >2:?E2:?:?8 ?@ 24E:G6 =:?6D @7 4@>>F?:42E:@?[ @FE @7 762C @7 36:?8 E2C86E65[” E96J 25565]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ E96 @77:4:2=D[ 2 >6DD286 925 366? D6?E E@ E96 z2E2:3 =6256CD9:A E@ 56E6C>:?6 E96:C 56>2?5D 😕 6I492?86 7@C C6=62D:?8 z:EE=6D@?] xC2B: 2FE9@C:E:6D H6C6 H:==:?8 E@ C6=62D6 D:I z2E2:3 w6K3@==29 >6>36CD H9@ 2C6 4FCC6?E=J 56E2:?65[ >@DE @7 E96> 😕 4@??64E:@? H:E9 2EE24
kAmz2E2:3 w6K3@==29 92D AC6G:@FD=J 366? 244FD65 @7 <:5?2AA:?8 7@C6:8?6CD]k^Am
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^:DC26=:CFDD:2?\C6D62C496C\:C2B\EDFC<@G\9@DE286\>:=:E:2\ba3ff2d3dhb2gc23ga73ac352dea5_26Qmt=:K236E9 %DFC<@Gk^2m[ 2 !C:?46E@? 8C25F2E6 DEF56?E H:E9 xDC26=: 2?5 #FDD:2? 4:E:K6?D9:A[ 5:D2AA62C65 😕 q289525 😕 a_ab] p7E6C D96 H2D 7C665 2?5 92?565 @G6C E@ &]$] 2FE9@C:E:6D 😕 $6AE6>36C a_ad[ D96 D2:5 E92E D96 925 366? 96=5 3J z2E2:3 w6K3@==29]k^Am
kAm%96 8C@FA ?6G6C @77:4:2==J 4=2:>65 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ 7@C <:5?2AA:?8 %DFC<@G]k^Am
kAmxC2?\324<65 >:=:E:2D 😕 xC2B 92G6 2=D@ =2F?4965 C68F=2C 2EE24^9F3^:C2?Qm&]$]\xDC26=: H2C @? xC2?k^2m]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmpDD@4:2E65 !C6DD HC:E6CD %@55 #:49>@?5 😕 |@F?E w@C63[ (:D4@?D:?[ p33J $6H6== 😕 q6:CFE 2?5 |2EE96H {66 2?5 tC:4 %F4<6C 😕 (2D9:?8E@? 4@?EC:3FE65 E@ E9:D C6A@CE]k^Am
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.