Official statements or press releases from the Biden administration

Elon Musk Brokers Release of Italian Journalist and Iranian Engineer in Prisoner Swap

Jan 15, 2025, 06:38 PM

Elon Musk played a key role in securing the release of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, who was detained in Iran since December 2024. Musk's intervention involved a meeting with Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, which facilitated a prisoner swap. This exchange also led to the release of an Iranian engineer detained in Italy on a U.S. extradition request and an Iranian businessman arrested in Italy based on a U.S. indictment. The engineer was accused of providing material for drones used in an attack on a U.S. military base. Musk's involvement came after Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met with President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, where Musk is a regular visitor. Musk assured Tehran that the U.S. wouldn’t extradite the Iranian held in Italy. The Biden administration was reportedly left uninformed about the deal. Sala, aged 29, had endured harsh conditions at Tehran's Evin prison, including solitary confinement.