Iraq’s Basra resident abducted in Iran amid ransom threats

Shafaq News– Basra

An Iraqi man from southern Iraq’s Basra province has been abducted in Iran, with armed captors demanding ransom and issuing death threats.

Speaking to Shafaq News on Wednesday, a family member reported that the victim traveled to Mashhad to visit the shrine of Imam Reza, the eighth Imam in Shiite Islam and one of Iran’s most important religious sites, before heading north, where he was seized shortly after arrival. The abductors, he clarified, later contacted the family demanding $20,000.

He noted that the family received material indicating the man was subjected to severe abuse intended to force payment, a situation he said has placed heavy strain on his elderly parents, who suffer from chronic illnesses and are unable to meet the demand.

Relatives traveled to Iran to pursue the case, according to the family member, but local police advised them to proceed through the Iraqi consulate and official channels, which have so far yielded no progress.

The family urged Iraqi security agencies and government officials to coordinate with Iranian authorities, secure the man’s release, and strengthen protections for Iraqis traveling abroad.

The abduction follows a similar case reported a day earlier involving another Iraqi man in Iran, whose family sought urgent intervention after kidnappers demanded $40,000 and threatened to kill or mutilate him.