The Italian government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, is accelerating diplomatic efforts to secure the release of journalist Cecilia Sala from Tehran's Evin prison.

In a recent high-level meeting held at Palazzo Chigi, Meloni underscored the urgency of Sala's release, even considering hosting her within the Italian embassy in Tehran as an interim measure.

The meeting gathered prominent Italian officials, including Antonio Tajani, Alfredo Mantovano, and Carlo Nordio, alongside Sala's mother, reflecting the seriousness of the situation.

Meloni emphasized the importance of direct engagement, stressing that an impression of stagnation in negotiations with Tehran must be avoided at all costs.

This urgency reflects the dire conditions reportedly endured by Sala, which were corroborated during her recent phone conversations with her family.

Central to the discussions was the operational strategy, notably the formalization of charges against Sala by the Iranian authorities.

Diplomatic sources are optimistic that the tenuous nature of these accusations might allow Sala to be placed under house arrest within the Italian embassy, granting her more dignified conditions while negotiations continue.

The diplomatic calculus involves complex negotiations, especially concerning Mohammad Abedini, an Iranian engineer currently detained in Milan under a US international arrest warrant.

The Italian government is considering ensuring Abedini receives comparable treatment to that desired for Sala, challenging the current denial of his house arrest at the behest of the United States.

Italy is cautious not to erode its negotiating leverage by extraditing Abedini to the US, stressing that national interests take precedence.

Prime Minister Meloni may even raise this complex issue with President Joe Biden during an upcoming meeting at Villa Pamphilij.

Diplomatic relations with Iran remain fraught, compounded by Tehran's increasingly rigid stance.

The appointment of Paola Amadei as Italy's new ambassador to Iran has been seen as potentially provocative by some in the Italian diplomatic community, given the current geopolitical context.

The situation underscores broader challenges facing international diplomatic negotiations and highlights the intricate balance between national interests and global diplomatic interplay.