An American journalist has been kidnapped in Baghdad, in what is seemingly tied to the growing U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, with fingers pointing to an Iran-backed militia as the likely culprit.

Shelly Kittleson is a freelance reporter who contributes to major outlets, including BBC, Politico, and more, and was abducted Tuesday by armed men in central Baghdad, according to U.S. and Iraqi officials.

Multiple vehicles were involved in the operation, with one car crashing during a pursuit as Iraqi security forces attempted to intercept the kidnappers. One suspect has been arrested and had his vehicle seized, but Kittleson was transferred to another car that escaped and is still missing.

The U.S. blames Kataib Hezbollah, which is an Iranian-aligned militia operating in Iraq, as the group believed to be behind the abduction. No formal claim of responsibility has been made.

Kittleson had been warned by the U.S. State Department prior to her trip that she faced threats and was advised to leave Iraq. The kidnapping comes during regional tensions, with Iranian-backed militias increasing attacks on U.S. targets.

Media organizations and press freedom groups condemned the kidnapping, warning that targeting journalists not only endangers lives but threatens the ability to report from some of the world’s most volatile and dangerous regions.

The story is eerily similar to the 2023 kidnapping of researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov, which was then also attributed to Kataib Hezbollah, raising fears that Kittleson could be held long-term as a geopolitical bargaining chip.