Italy releases Iranian man needed by US over drone assault in Jordan

Italy launched an Iranian citizen on Sunday needed by the US over a drone assault in Jordan that killed three People a 12 months in the past, after the Italian justice minister requested a courtroom to revoke his arrest.

Mohammad Abedini has already returned to Iran, Iranian state TV mentioned on Sunday afternoon.

He was scheduled to seem at a Milan courtroom on Wednesday in connection together with his bid for home arrest pending extradition to the US.

Abedini was arrested on a US warrant on 16 December, three days earlier than Italian journalist Cecilia Sala was detained whereas on a reporting journey to Iran. Sala, who was believed to be held as a bargaining chip for Abedini’s launch, returned house final week.

The US Division of Justice has accused Abedini of supplying the drone know-how to Iran that was utilized in a January 2024 assault on a US outpost in Jordan that killed three American troops.

An official be aware on the case launched by the Italian justice ministry on Sunday mentioned that underneath Italy-US extradition treaties, “solely crimes which can be punishable in line with the legal guidelines of either side can result in extradition, a situation which, based mostly on the state of paperwork, can’t be thought of as current.”

The ministry mentioned that the potential cost towards Abedini – felony affiliation for violating the Worldwide Emergency Financial Powers Act, a US federal regulation – “didn’t correspond to any conduct acknowledged by Italian regulation as against the law”.

Iranian state TV mentioned the discharge and return of Abedini got here after Iran’s international ministry pursued the case, in addition to “talks” between Iran’s intelligence ministry and the Italian intelligence service.

The Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, described a “diplomatic triangulation” with Iran and the US as being key to securing Sala’s launch, confirming for the primary time that Washington’s pursuits entered into the negotiations.

Sala’s launch got here after Meloni made a shock journey to Florida to fulfill the US president-elect, Donald Trump, at his Mar-a-Lago property.