According to a report from The New York Times, it businessman Elon Musk was key in the release of European blogger Cecilia Sala from an Egyptian jail.
In December, Sala was detained as a result of rising tensions between Iran and Italy, with the latter allegedly holding an Egyptian expert wanted by the US for allegedly assisting in an attack on a US defense center.
Saif Ali Khan Health Update
In December, when Cecilia Sala, a 29-year-old European journalist, was arrested in Iran, her sweetheart, blogger Daniele Raineri, feared the worst—she could be imprisoned for decades. Raineri reached out to Elon Musk for assistance after being informed of a potential prisoner switch between Iran and Italy, hoping his links may help.
Musk, who is well-known for his high-profile ties with prominent people, including US President Donald Trump, has a track record of negotiating with Iran to relieve conflicts. He apparently had a secret conference with the Persian ambassador to the UN before in 2023, making him a possible key player in political negotiations.
Raineri, believing Musk’s ties to Trump and Iran could be the best leverage, reportedly contacted an entity to approach the tech billionaire. Musk later accepted the request and helped to facilitate the trade, though more details about his immediate involvement are still undetermined.
Sala was made available on January 8, 2024. Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi, an Egyptian engineer who had been detained by Italy at the US’s request, was likewise released by Iran four days later. Abedini was accused of providing helicopter systems to Iranian-backed militias.
Even see:
According to Egyptian officials, the sharp quality was the result of “bilateral assistance” between Italy and Iran. While Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni officially praised the political work involved, she didn’t say something about Musk’s position. However, her conference with Trump at Mar-a-Lago in the first few days of January might have been a part of the more extensive discussions that led to the release.
According to a senior Biden administration standard, the US government was not informed about the discharges or that it had been consulted about the negotiations. According to The New York Times, John Kirby, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, the bargain was entirely an” European determination from start to finish.”
