In what comes as a major escalation, Iran and Italy have locked horns over the arrest of an Italian journalist in Iran. Italy has summoned the Iranian ambassador to ask for the release, which is responded to by a demand to free an Iranian citizen who was arrested on a US warrant over a drone attack in Jordan that saw three Americans dead. The scenario underscores a three-nation diplomatic tangle.
The complicated development started brewing on December 16 after the US Justice Department accused two Iranian citizens of supplying drone technology to Iran, which was reportedly used in January 2024 to attack on a US outpost in Jordan killing three American citizens.
Backgound of current diplomatic rift
Following the Jordan attack, Mohammad Abedini, one of the suspects, was detained at Milan's Malpensa airport on a US warrant that sought his extradition.
Just three days later, an Italian journalist, Cecilia Sala, who arrived in Iran on December 13 on a journalist visa, was arrested in Tehran over charges of violating the laws of the Islamic Republic, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
Since both countries made references to both cases in their public statements, the cases appear to be intertwined as both Iran and Italy seek the release of their respective citizen, accusing each other of detaining nationals without any concrete reason.
What did the Iranian embassy in Italy say?
While the Iranian embassy to Italy says the meeting was 'friendly' between Ambassador Mohammadreza Sabouri and the Italian foreign ministry's secretary general, Riccardo Guariglia, the embassy wasted no time in asserting that Abedini was being held on “false charges”.
The Iranian embassy also added that the Italian journalist was being treated humanely in Iran and demanded the same treatment for Abedini.
"It is reciprocally expected from the Italian government that, in addition to expediting the release of the detained Iranian citizen, he will be provided with the things he needs", AP quotes the Iranian embassy's statement.
Moreover, the federal prosecutors in the United States have accused Abedini along with a co-defendant of export control violations after FBI specialists analysed the drone navigation system used in the Jordan attack and traced it to them.
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