Shafaq News/ Negotiations over the release of Israeli researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov, kidnapped in Iraq, have entered a new phase involving Iraqi, Iranian, and American parties, a source told Shafaq News on Saturday.

According to the source, recent developments followed an order from Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani barring government agencies from direct involvement. The parties now leading the negotiations reportedly include Iranian-linked actors demanding the release of several detainees, including the Lebanese sea captain Imad Amhaz, along with five others—two of whom are Iranian nationals.

“Tehran is actively driving the negotiations, and the talks have reached a promising stage,” the source said, noting that initial negotiations included Iraqi officials, American representatives, and intermediaries linked to the kidnappers.

Early discussions centered around ransom payments, with demands initially set at $500 million, later reduced to $200 million. However, the US has rejected any payment, fearing it could legitimize or finance the group responsible for the kidnapping, which has shifted the course of talks.

Tsurkov is reportedly in good health and is currently being held in a neutral Arab country acting as both mediator and guarantor, the source noted. “A potential exchange is expected to take place in the coming week, involving the release of prisoners held by Israel in return for Tsurkov’s handover.”

The Israeli researcher was kidnapped in March 2023 in Baghdad’s Karrada district. While her exact location remains unknown, an Iraqi official told Israeli media that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani is aware of who abducted her but prefers to hand her over to the US.

A video released nearly a year later shows Tsurkov pleading in Hebrew and claiming to work for Mossad and the CIA—statements seen as made under duress.