An Iranian businessman who was arrested in Italy is scheduled to return home in the next few hours

The Iranian news agency Mizan said Sunday that Iranian businessman Mohammad Abedini, who was arrested in Italy on a U.S. warrant, would return to Iran within the next few hours after Italy’s justice minister petitioned to have his imprisonment revoked.

For reportedly providing drone parts that Washington claims were utilized in a 2024 attack that killed three American service members in Jordan, Abedini was detained in Milan this month.

“Mohammad Abedini was detained due to a misunderstanding which was resolved through … Iran’s foreign ministry efforts and negotiations between the concerned departments of the intelligence ministry of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Italian intelligence services,” reported Mizan, the judiciary’s news agency.

Iran denied any role in the drone strike and refuted claims that it had pressured Rome into freeing Abedini by holding Italian journalist Cecilia Sala in Tehran until Wednesday, when she was released and went home.

According to the Italian justice ministry, the minister asked for Abedini’s arrest to be lifted earlier on Sunday. Courts in Italy are required to comply with the request.

“Minister (Carlo) Nordio filed a request with the Milan Court of Appeal to revoke the arrest of Iranian citizen Abedininajafabadi Mohammad,” a statement from the ministry read.

Legal requirements were not met, according to Nordio, because Abedini could only be extradited for crimes that were punished in both Italy and the US.

Violations of the U.S. International Economic Emergency Powers Act, according to the statement, did not amount to actions that would be considered crimes in Italy. The other accusations of aiding a terrorist group were also unsupported by any proof, it was added.

According to an Italian justice ministry official, he had no idea whether Abedini had previously been released from prison.

“The United States has not yet made a formal request to extradite Abedini,” Nordio stated in an interview that was published on Thursday.