The Iranian government is seeking to have Israel release multiple Iranian operatives in exchange for Russian-Israeli citizen Elizabeth Tsurkov, Arabic media reported Wednesday.
According to the report by The New Arab, Tsurkov was kidnapped by an Iranian-backed militia in Iraq in order to secure the operatives' release.
Tsurkov, a Russian-Israeli researcher and writer on Syrian affairs and doctoral student at Princeton University, was abducted by Kataeb Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Shi'ite militia in Iraq, in March.
The Israeli Prime Minister's Office stated earlier this month: "Elizabeth Tsurkov is still alive, and we see Iraq as responsible for her fate and wellbeing."
The Israeli government has blamed an Iranian-backed militia for her kidnapping.
Tsurkov entered Iraq on her Russian passport despite it being illegal to enter Iraq as it is an enemy country. Conspiracy theorists have claimed without evidence that she was an Israeli Mossad or military agent, while the Israeli, US, and Russian governments insist that she is a civilian. Russia and the US are cooperating with Israel to secure her release.