The case of Cecilia Sala “is becoming a test for the Italian government”which is involved in the ‘shadow war’ between Iran and the United States. The Wall Street Journal writes this in a long article in which it retraces the stages of the affair, up to yesterday’s statement from Tehran’s Foreign Ministry, which urges Italy to “reject the American policy of taking hostages”. Tehran does not explicitly ask to exchange the journalist with Mohammed Abedini, the Iranian citizen arrested in Malpensa three days before Sala at the request of the United States, but the connection between the two cases was recognized by the Iranian ambassador in Rome after being summoned to the Farnesina.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni “is increasingly under pressure from public opinion to ensure Sala’s rapid release”underlines the American newspaper, observing that “if Italy released Abedini”, rejecting the United States’ extradition request, “it would risk irritating President-elect Donald Trump – who will renew his ‘maximum pressure’ strategy on Iran – and to damage Meloni’s effort to position itself as one of Trump’s favorite interlocutors in Europe.”
For the prime minister “the most convenient outcome would be a quick agreement for the release of Sala in exchange for the release of Abedini, before Trump takes office on January 20”, writes the WSJ citing many observers in Rome. “But neither the slow Italian judicial system, which must evaluate the US extradition request, nor the internal functioning of the Iranian regime could lead to a result in time” for that date, the newspaper comments.