Man charged with aiding UK prison break of alleged spy for Iran

Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi, accused of transferring drone technology to Iran, was arrested at Milan Airport on a US warrant. Washington says the technology was used in an attack in February near the Jordan-Syria border that killed three American soldiers, an assertion Iran denies.

“The freezing of the United States' extradition request to Italy for Iranian Mohammad Abedini-Najafabadi, detained since December 16 in Milan's Opera prison on an American warrant, was the primary objective of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's swift visit to Mar-a-Lago, the Florida residence of US President-elect Donald Trump, who is set to be sworn in on January 20,” wrote the Italian newspaper Il Giornale on Monday.

The suspension gives Italy a brief window to negotiate the release of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, detained in Tehran since December 19.

“The tipping point may come on January 15, when the Court of Appeal in Milan is set to rule on the request for house arrest for Abedini. This decision could allow the Italian government to advocate for a similar measure for Sala,” added Il Giornale.

Tehran made clear to Rome that the freedom of the Italian reporter detained in Iran depends on Italy's release of Abedini, a source familiar with discussions between the journalist's family and the Italian government told Iran International.

Iran, the source said, is prepared to free Sala “on humanitarian grounds" if the Italian government drops the extradition proceedings against Abedini and grants his release from Milan's brooding La Opera prison.

Iran denies link between Sala and Abedini cases

Tehran has denied any connection between the two detentions. Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday, “These two issues are completely unrelated. The Italian journalist was detained for violating Iranian laws, while the Iranian individual is in custody for circumventing US sanctions.”

The Iranian embassy in Rome also claimed Sala is being treated humanely, while urging Italy to expedite action for Abedini’s release.

Tensions over Sala’s detention escalated after the Italian foreign ministry summoned Iran’s ambassador in Rome, Mohammadreza Sabouri, on January 2 to demand her immediate release.

Domestically, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s diplomatic efforts have drawn praise. Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini posted on X: “Well done Giorgia Meloni for visiting Donald Trump to talk about peace, industrial and commercial cooperation, security, and the freeing of Cecilia Sala.”

Milan’s Chief Prosecutor has opposed Abedini’s conditional release, while Meloni is scheduled to meet US President Joe Biden in Rome on January 12 to further discuss Sala’s detention.

The temporary suspension of Abedini’s extradition shows the high stakes for Meloni’s government torn between Washington and Tehran as it navigates the complexities of securing Sala's release, addressing what rights groups and nations such as France have branded as Iran’s 'state hostage-taking'.

Macron urged the European parties to the lapsed 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran to consider reimposing sanctions, he told an annual conference with French ambassadors to outline foreign policy objectives in 2025,

"The acceleration of the nuclear program leads us nearly to the point of no return,” he said, describing Iran as the main strategic and security challenge for France and Europe.

Iran says its uranium enrichment program is for peaceful purposes but has accelerated activity since US President-elect Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal - officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) - during his first term and reimposed sanctions on Tehran.

“Remember, when the United States decided to denounce the JCPOA, which they themselves had promoted, France had a simple view: we must move towards a broader agreement. This is our strategy today,” Macron added.

Last month, European powers France, Germany, and Britain warned that Iran’s actions had further eroded the agreement, noting that Tehran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium has no credible civilian justification.

In December, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog reported that Iran was dramatically advancing enrichment close to the 90% purity needed only for weapons-grade material.

The three European nations, co-signatories of the 2015 accord, had brokered the deal under which Iran agreed to limit enrichment in exchange for the lifting sanctions. With the sanctions reimposed, Iran saw little to no incentive to keep its part of the bargain.

French, German, and British diplomats are scheduled to meet with Iranian counterparts on January 13 for a follow-up to last month’s talks, aimed at exploring serious negotiations in the coming months to ease tensions with Tehran as Trump prepares to return to the White House on January 20.

"In the coming months we will have to ask ourselves whether to use ... the mechanism to restore sanctions," Macron said, referring to October 2025 when the JCPOA formally expires.

Macron also mentioned Iran's ballistic missiles and support for Russia, labeling them threats to Europe and calling for diplomacy with Trump after he took office.

“Its (Iran’s) ballistic missile program threatens European soil and our interests. Iran is already involved in Russia's war against Ukraine through clear and fully identified military support.”

Warning that Iran’s use of terrorism continues throughout the world, he said, “Tehran’s support for dangerous groups across all conflict zones in the Middle East and its attempts to establish a presence in Africa amplify this danger through its so-called proxies.”

The video, shared widely on social media on Sunday and Monday, shows the woman angrily removing the turban and saying to the cleric, "So you have honor now?”

She then searches for her husband, calling his name and asking, "What did you do to my husband?"

The exact date and cause of the initial confrontation remain unclear.

A media outlet affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Mashregh News, reported that the incident was unrelated to hijab and claimed the woman had "psychological problems."

The outlet also stated that the woman was briefly detained but later released "with the consent of the complainants."

The incident occurred within the context of increasing civil disobedience by women in Iran, particularly following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in September 2022. Crackdowns on women defying mandatory hijab in public places, including airports, have also intensified.

The government's tendency to pathologize dissent is a recurring theme. In November, a female student at the Azad University in Tehran’s Science and Research branch became a symbol of the movement for freedom of dress by removing her clothing in protest.

While many Iranians recognized the as an act of defiance, official narratives attempted to portray her as mentally unstable. Four Iranian psychology and psychiatry associations criticized the government last year for misusing psychiatry and psychology to suppress opposition to mandatory hijab.

Countering Mashregh News's claims, some social media users have interpreted the airport incident as a powerful act of protest, with some describing it as a " remarkable protest performance."

For instance, one user praised the woman's "transformation of the turban into a mandatory scarf" as an innovative form of resistance.

The Israeli television network Kan 11 also shared the video, framing it as a protest against the enforcement of mandatory hijab.

The incident highlights the ongoing struggle over women's rights in Iran. In the past two years, thousands of women have faced arrest, summons, fines, prosecution, or denial of public services for not adhering to the state-mandated dress code.

In December 2023, Mohsen Aghili, the head of airport police, stated that women would be denied airport services if they did not wear a hijab.

Prior to that, officials at airports in Fars province and Mashhad had announced the deployment of hijab enforcers to prevent what they called improperly veiled people from entering airports and terminals.

In July, the Tehran office of Turkish Airlines was temporarily closed due to its employees' non-compliance with hijab regulations.

The Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRANA) reported in December that over 30,000 women faced legal action last year for defying mandatory hijab.

The Iranian authorities' efforts to enforce hijab continue through various means, including the recently passed the so-called Chastity and Hijab Law. 

The final text of the "Family Protection through Promoting the Culture of Chastity and Hijab" law was published in Iranian media in November, prompting widespread expressions of concern from several rights groups and activists, including UN experts.

Earlier in January, Rouhollah Momen-Nasab, the secretary of the Tehran Headquarters for Promoting Virtue and Preventing Vice, called for the law's implementation before the summer. However, the government is hesitant to enforce the law, likely due to concerns about public backlash.

“These two matters are entirely unrelated,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said during a press briefing on Monday. “The Italian journalist was detained for violating Iranian laws, while the Iranian individual was arrested for circumventing US sanctions.”

Baghaei also criticized what he described as the US targeting Iranian citizens abroad.

“Several Iranian nationals are pursued and extradited in certain countries at the request of the US, which we consider a form of hostage-taking,” he said.

However, a source familiar with discussions between Sala's family and the Italian government told Iran International that Tehran made clear to Rome that Sala's freedom depends on Italy's release of Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi, an Iranian arrested at Washington's behest.

“Syria must not become a safe haven for terrorists, and its people should decide their future without foreign, regional, or extra-regional interventions,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said during a press briefing on Monday.

In contrast, Khamenei accused the United States and Israel of orchestrating the removal of former President Bashar al Assad, urging resistance against what he described as a foreign-imposed government.

The fall of Assad in December and the rise of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has upended Iran’s influence in Syria, challenging its long-standing strategic foothold in the country.

The HTS-led government has already voiced its desire for Tehran to respect Syria’s sovereignty.

“We respect the choice and decisions of the Syrian people,” Baghaei said. The foreign ministry is advocating for diplomacy and cooperation with Syria while Khamenei’s rhetoric signals Tehran’s unwillingness to relinquish its influence in the country, which turned from being a key ally to a potential adversary as the Sunni HTS aligns with Iran's rivals in the region and garners international support.

US pressures and nuclear negotiations

Simultaneously, Iran faces mounting pressure from the United States over its nuclear program.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan recently presented President Joe Biden with potential military options against Iranian nuclear facilities as reported by Axios. Baghaei condemned these threats as violations of the United Nations Charter, calling on the Security Council to address what he described as provocations undermining international peace and security.

“The threat of force against a country’s peaceful nuclear facilities constitutes a double violation of international obligations,” Baghaei said. He accused Washington of attempting to dictate policies in preparation for the next US administration.

Iran’s strained relations with Western powers extend to stalled nuclear negotiations. Baghaei said talks with European countries are set to resume in Geneva on January 12 and insisted that Iran remains committed to dialogue, saying, “We have never avoided the negotiation table and have always believed in honorable negotiations.”

The talks come at a critical time, as the IAEA reports Iran’s progress in enriching uranium to near-weapons-grade levels. Tehran insists its nuclear program remains peaceful, but international concerns persist over its potential for weaponization.