Iran summons Italian ambassador over arrest of Iranian wanted by US

DUBAI (Reuters): Iran’s foreign ministry summoned the Italian ambassador on Friday over the detention of an Iranian national wanted by the United States for his alleged role in a deadly drone strike against U.S. forces, Iranian state media reported.

The summons came a day after a similar move by Italy over Iran’s arrest of Italian reporter Cecilia Sala, who was seized in Tehran on December 19 while working under a journalist visa.

An Iranian foreign ministry official “urged Italy to reject America’s hostage policy — which is contrary to international law, particularly human rights — and provide for Mr. [Mohammad] Abedini’s release as soon as possible and prevent damage to bilateral ties,” state media reported.

On Thursday, the Iranian embassy in Rome said Sala was being given all the humanitarian care necessary, and for the first time, linked her case to that of Abedini.

Iran’s said on Monday that Sala had been arrested for “violating the laws of the Islamic Republic.” It gave no further information.

Sala was detained three days after Abedini, an Iranian businessman, was arrested at Milan’s Malpensa airport on a U.S. warrant for allegedly supplying drone parts that Washington says were used in a 2023 attack that killed three U.S. service members in Jordan.

Iran has denied involvement in the attack.

Abedini is currently being held in prison and a court is due to decide this month whether to grant him house arrest while judges consider the U.S. extradition request.

In recent years, Iran’s security forces have arrested dozens of foreigners and dual nationals, mostly on charges related to espionage and security. Rights groups have accused Iran of trying to extract concessions from other countries through such arrests. Iran denies this.