Iran’s foreign ministry summoned the Italian ambassador on Friday in response to the detention of an Iranian national sought by the United States for his purported involvement in a lethal drone strike against U.S. forces, according to Iranian state media. This action followed Italy’s recent summoning of Iranian officials regarding the arrest of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, who was detained in Tehran on December 19 while operating under a journalist visa.
An official from Iran’s foreign ministry urged Italy to reject what it termed America’s hostage policy, which it claims contravenes international law and human rights, and called for the prompt release of Mr. Mohammad Abedini to avoid further strain on bilateral relations, as reported by state media. On Thursday, the Iranian embassy in Rome stated that Sala was receiving all necessary humanitarian assistance and, for the first time, connected her situation to that of Abedini.
Iran announced on Monday that Sala was arrested for “violating the laws of the Islamic Republic,” without providing additional details. Sala’s detention occurred three days after Abedini, an Iranian businessman, was apprehended at Milan’s Malpensa airport on a U.S. warrant for allegedly supplying drone components used in a 2023 attack that resulted in the deaths of three U.S. service members in Jordan. Iran has denied any involvement in the incident.
Abedini is presently incarcerated, with a court scheduled to determine this month whether to allow him to serve his sentence under house arrest while the judges review the U.S. extradition request.
In recent years, Iran’s security forces have detained numerous foreigners and dual nationals, primarily on allegations of espionage and security violations. Human rights organizations have accused Iran of attempting to leverage these arrests for concessions from other nations, a claim that Iran refutes.
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