An Italian journalist detained in Iran whose fate became intertwined with that of an Iranian engineer wanted by the United States said she assumed she would have been held much longer and said her boyfriend's contact with Elon Musk might have been "fundamental" to her release.

An Italian journalist detained in Iran whose fate became intertwined with that of an Iranian engineer wanted by the United States says she assumed she would have been held much longer.

ROME — Italy on Sunday released an Iranian citizen wanted ... Mohammad Abedini has already returned to Iran, Iranian state TV said on Sunday afternoon. He was scheduled to appear at a Milan court on Wednesday in connection with his bid for house arrest ...

The Italian journalist was released soon after Elon Musk met with an Iranian ambassador, officials in Iran said. So was an Iranian detained in Italy who was wanted by the U.S.

Italian media linked his case to the detention of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, who was seized in Tehran three days after Abedini was arrested. She returned home on Wednesday. Iran dismissed allegations it had imprisoned her to pressure Rome to release Abedini.

The linked cases of Iranian engineer Mohammad Abedini and Italian reporter Cecilia Sala are the latest flashpoint between Tehran and Washington.

ROME, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Elon Musk played no role in negotiations between Italy and Iran for the release of a journalist who was held in a Tehran prison, Italy's foreign minister said on Friday ...

Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi was held in Milan after accusations he had supplied drone technology to Iran's military.

Italy’s Giorgia Meloni has emerged as the US president’s favourite EU interlocutor, with hopes growing she could talk him out of a trade war.

Italian journalist Cecilia Sala has told how Elon Musk played a pivotal role in her release from an Iranian detention center.

She said she had read that Italy had arrested an Iranian engineer three days earlier at the request of the United States. The engineer, Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi, was wanted for his alleged role in providing drone technology for Iran that was used in an attack that killed three American soldiers in Jordan.

Russia and Iran signed a new treaty on Friday underpinning their economic and military cooperation, in what both sides cast as a major milestone in their relations.