Italian journalist Sala freed from Iran prison and flying home

Italian journalist Cecilia Sala has been freed from detention in Iran and is flying home, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's office said on Wednesday.

Sala, 29, had been working under a regular journalistic visa but was detained in Tehran on Dec. 19 and held in solitary confinement in the Iranian capital's notorious Evin prison.

Sala was seized three days after Iranian businessman Mohammad Abedini was arrested in Milan on a U.S. warrant for allegedly supplying drone parts that Washington says were used in a 2024 attack that killed three U.S. service members in Jordan. Iran has denied involvement in the strike.

The Italian statement said that Sala had been freed "thanks to intense work on diplomatic and intelligence channels". It made no mention of the Abedini case. A source with knowledge of the matter said Abedini remained in a Milan prison.

"I want to express my gratitude to everyone who helped make Cecilia's return possible," Meloni said on X. The Italian prime minister was expected to greet Sala in person when she landed in Rome later on Wednesday.

Sala works for the newspaper Il Foglio and the podcast company Chora Media. Her swift release represents a diplomatic win for Meloni, who had feared the case could drag on for weeks.

The Italian leader made a surprise visit to Florida at the weekend to meet U.S. president-elect Donald Trump. No details of the talks were released, but Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said they had discussed Sala's situation.

One Italian newspaper reported that Trump had blessed a deal to secure Sala's release, so long as it happened before his Jan. 20 inauguration. Meloni's office did not comment on the report.

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.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Sunday that Abedini's detention amounted to hostage-taking.