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Elon Musk Facilitates Release of Italian Journalist in Iran-U.S. Prisoner Swap

Jan 15, 2025, 08:25 PM

Elon Musk reportedly played a key role in securing the release of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, who was detained in Iran since December 2024. According to two Iranian officials, Musk contacted Iran's ambassador to the U.N., Amir Saeid Iravani, to facilitate Sala's release. This action followed a meeting between Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago. The release of Sala was part of a prisoner swap involving the U.S., where Italy also released an Iranian engineer, Mohammad Abedini, wanted by the U.S. for providing material for drones used in an attack on a U.S. military base. The Biden administration was not informed about these negotiations. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei denied Musk's involvement, calling it a media fabrication. Sala's boyfriend, Daniele Raineri, had previously reached out to Musk for help, and Sala endured harsh conditions during her detention, including solitary confinement in Tehran's Evin prison.