What Iraqi officials say about Tsurkov’s release
Two Iraqi militia officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the case, said Tsurkov’s release came about as a result of negotiations and not through a military operation to free her.
The officials said one of the conditions for her release had been the withdrawal of U.S. forces currently stationed in Iraq — which had been agreed upon between Washington and Baghdad last year — and that the U.S. and Israel would not launch strikes on Iraq.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he spoke with Tsurkov’s family and told them “the entire state of Israel is happy to see her return home.”
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani said in a post on X that Tsurkov’s release was the “culmination of extensive efforts exerted by our security services over the course of many months.”
“We reaffirm, once again, that we will not tolerate any compromise in enforcing the law and upholding the authority of the state, nor will we allow anyone to undermine the reputation of Iraq and its people,” he said.
Al-Sudani came to power in 2022 with the backing of a coalition of Iran-linked Shiite parties, but since then has sought to balance relations between Washington and Tehran. In a recent interview with the AP, he said he sought closer ties with the Trump administration.
One of the most complicated issues for al-Sudani is how to handle the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of mostly Shiite, Iran-backed militias that formed to fight the Islamic State group. This coalition was formally placed under the control of the Iraqi military in 2016, although in practice it still operates with significant autonomy. Kataib Hezbollah is part of the PMF.
The Iraqi parliament was recently considering legislation that would solidify the relationship between the military and the PMF, drawing objections from Washington. The legislation has not moved forward to a vote.
An Iraqi army spokesperson said in a statement that “following exceptional security and intelligence efforts,” authorities were able to “locate the place” where Tsurkov was being held, “reach it, and subsequently hand her over to the United States Embassy, which will in turn arrange for her reunion with her sister, who holds American citizenship.”
