ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Friday ordered security forces to take maximum measures to pursue those behind the kidnapping of foreign nationals and attacks on vital institutions and diplomatic missions, warning there will be no “red lines” in enforcing the law.

The directive came during a visit to the Federal Intelligence and Investigations Agency at the Interior Ministry, where Sudani chaired a high-level meeting with senior security officials, including the interior minister and intelligence chiefs, according to a statement carried by the Iraqi state media.

Officials briefed the prime minister on ongoing efforts to confront what they described as rising threats targeting key state facilities, foreign missions, and incidents involving the abduction of foreign citizens.

Sudani said those responsible for such “hostile acts” must be tracked down and held accountable, stressing that the attacks harm Iraq’s reputation and threaten public interests. He added that enforcing the law will apply to all parties without exception.

He also called for heightened readiness, continuous monitoring, and sustained intelligence operations to preserve stability and counter emerging threats, particularly as the region faces escalating conflict and tensions.

American journalist Shelly Kittleson, a former staff editor at The New Region, was kidnapped in Baghdad on Tuesday evening by unidentified gunmen near a hotel on al-Saadoun Street, according to Iraqi officials and a well-informed source, in an incident that underscores the security threats highlighted by Sudani.

Authorities said one suspect has been arrested after security forces intercepted a vehicle used in the abduction, but Kittleson’s whereabouts remain unknown.

The Interior Ministry confirmed the kidnapping of a foreign journalist and said efforts are ongoing to track down those responsible.

Kittleson, an independent reporter who has covered Iraq and the wider region, has written for outlets including Al Monitor, Foreign Policy, and The National, and previously reported from frontlines against ISIS.

Her abduction reflects persistent risks facing journalists in Iraq, where kidnappings, harassment, and detentions continue, often linked to armed groups.

Similar incidents have occurred in recent years, including the case of Israeli-Russian researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov, who was held for more than two years before her release.