Iraqi sources claim the kidnapping of Russian-Israeli researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov was carried out to press Israel to release a detained Iranian.

It is possible that the Iranian in question is Yousef Shahbazi Abbasalilo, who was allegedly snatched from Iranian soil by Israel for planning attacks on Israeli targets in Cyprus, reported the London-based Arabic daily Asharq Al-Awsat on Sunday.

It is not clear if Israel abducted Abbasalilo before or after Tsurkov was abducted.

Sources told the outlet that Moscow is mediating talks that could result in Tsurkov's release soon.

The pro-Iranian militia Kata’ib Hezbollah is believed to be holding Tsurkov in Iraq, while other sources suggest she has been taken to Iran.

On July 3, an Iraqi official told Israeli media that the Islamic Republic has been involved in the abduction in Iraq of the academic.

While Kata'ib Hezbollah denied any involvement in Tsurkov’s kidnapping, an Iraqi official told Israel's Channel 11 that she was arrested by Iraq's intelligence service - or someone posing as such - before being handed over to Iran-backed Kata'ib Hezbollah which has been holding her for months.

An expert on regional proxies across the Middle East including Turkey's proxies in Syria, Tsurkov had traveled to several of the region's terror hotspots.

Tsurkov's mother Irena said they lost contact two months ago. "From what I had known until today, she was in Turkey, working on her research for Princeton. I didn't even know she was in Iraq," she told Israel's N12 News.