Italy on Sunday released an Iranian citizen wanted by the U.S. over a drone attack in Jordan that killed three Americans a year ago, after the Italian justice minister asked a court to revoke his arrest.

Mohammad Abedini has already returned to Iran, Iranian state TV said on Sunday afternoon.

He was scheduled to appear at a Milan court on Wednesday in connection with his bid for house arrest pending extradition to the U.S.

Abedini was arrested on a U.S. warrant on Dec. 16, three days before Italian journalist Cecilia Sala was detained while on a reporting trip to Iran. Sala, who was believed held as a bargaining chip for Abedini�s release, returned home last week, where her plight had dominated headlines.

The U.S. Justice Department has accused Abedini of supplying the drone technology to Iran that was used in a January 2024 attack on a U.S. outpost in Jordan that killed three American troops.

An official note on the case released by the Italian Justice Ministry on Sunday said that under Italy-U.S. extradition treaties, �only crimes that are punishable according to the laws of both sides can lead to extradition, a condition which, based on the state of documents, can�t be considered as existing.�

The ministry said that the potential charge against Abedini � criminal association for violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a U.S. federal law � �did not correspond to any conduct recognized by Italian law as a crime.�

Iranian state TV said the release and return of Abedini came after Iran�s foreign ministry pursued the case, as well as �talks� between Iran�s intelligence ministry and the Italian intelligence service.

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni described a �diplomatic triangulation� with Iran and the United States as being key to securing Sala�s release, confirming for the first time that Washington�s interests entered into the negotiations.

Sala�s release came after Meloni made a surprise trip to Florida to meet U.S. President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

(AP)