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Iraq

Report: Tehran set up Russian-Israeli’s abduction in Iraq to secure Iranian’s release

2023-07-10

[IsraelTimes] London daily Asharq al-Awsat says Islamic Theocratic Republic looking to swap Elizabeth Tsurkov, possibly for prisoner Israel says is Revolutionary Guard operative

The kidnapping of Russian-Israeli researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov was carried out to pressure Israel to release an Iranian operative held by Israel, according to Asharq al-Awsat, a London-based Arabic daily.

Citing Iraqi government sources and members of an umbrella organization for Shiite militias, the newspaper reported that the Iranian in question could be Yusef Shahbazi Abbasalilo, whom Israel announced in June it had nabbed on Iranian soil for planning attacks on Israeli targets in Cyprus.

Israel has not revealed when it took Shahbazi Abbasalilo, an alleged Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps operative, and whether it was before Tsurkov was kidnapped.

Some sources told the outlet that talks were being mediated by Russia, "which may result in the release of Tsurkov in the coming days."

Asharq al-Awsat also said it had received conflicting reports about her whereabouts, with some sources saying she was being held in Iraq by the pro-Iranian militia Kataeb Hezbollah, and others indicating she had been moved to Iran.

The report could not be independently verified.

Tsurkov, a doctoral student at Princeton University and fellow at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy, has been missing in Iraq for more than three months.

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