Mehdi Mohammad Sadeghi, an Iranian-American engineer, appeared in a federal court in Boston on December 27, pleading not guilty to charges brought by the United States Department of Justice. Sadeghi and another Iranian citizen, Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi, are accused of illegally supplying drone technology to an Iranian company linked to the Iranian regime. This technology, according to US authorities, was instrumental in constructing a drone used in a deadly attack by Iran-backed militias on a US base in Jordan in January, which resulted in the deaths of three American soldiers and injuries to 40 others.
Sadeghi was arrested in the United States on December 16, coinciding with the detention of Abedini at Milan Airport in Italy. Reports indicate that Abedini was traveling from Istanbul to Milan when Italian authorities apprehended him. Just days later, on December 19, the Iranian regime arrested Italian journalist Cecilia Sala in Tehran, escalating international tensions and drawing accusations of hostage-taking.
While Iranian authorities have remained silent on the reasons behind Sala’s detention, the timing of her arrest aligns with the regime’s efforts to secure the release of Sadeghi and Abedini. Human rights organizations, including Reporters Without Borders and the International Federation of Journalists, have condemned Sala’s detention as a tactic of blackmail. They labeled the arrest “arbitrary” and demanded her immediate and unconditional release.
Dr. Kylie Moore-Gilbert, an Australian-British academic who was previously held hostage by the Iranian regime, weighed in on the situation via her X account (formerly Twitter). She criticized Western governments for their lack of a unified strategy against what she described as “hostage diplomacy.” “Each hostage-taking seems to become more and more naked and brazen,” Moore-Gilbert wrote. “It is the definition of insanity to keep doing the same thing again and again and not expect the same result. It’s time governments start taking hostage diplomacy seriously and recognize it as a growing human rights and national security threat.”
The Iranian regime has a long history of leveraging foreign nationals and dual citizens as pawns in its geopolitical bargaining. Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported that Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has mobilized its consulate in Italy to advocate for Abedini’s release. Abedini heads Sanat Danesh Rahpouyan Aflak, a company allegedly providing navigation systems for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) used by the IRGC. Prosecutors claim the company’s systems were utilized in the drone attack on Tower 22, a US outpost in Jordan near the Syrian border. The White House has identified Iranian-supported Iraqi Shiite militias as the perpetrators of the attack.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that Sala remains in solitary confinement in Tehran. Italian officials are reportedly negotiating her release, though the Iranian regime’s motives appear clear. By detaining foreign nationals, Iran aims to pressure Western governments into concessions, whether it be the release of detained individuals like Sadeghi and Abedini or broader political and economic demands.
The international community’s response to Iran’s tactics has been largely fragmented. Critics argue that a unified approach, including collective bargaining and punitive measures, is essential to deter the regime from continuing its practice of hostage diplomacy. Without coordinated action, the Iranian regime is likely to persist in exploiting foreign nationals as tools for leverage, exacerbating both human rights abuses and global security concerns.
Source » ynetnews