Italian media speculate on the main reason for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s blitz visit to Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Florida on Jan. 5 (even Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani was not informed, if one believes Tajani’s own statements). Up front is the “shadow war” between United States and Iran which Italy has been caught up in, with the arrest of Iranian scientist Mohammad Abedini in Milan and the Iranian retaliation with the arrest of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala.
However, as the website Formiche points to, Trump’s invitation to Meloni came before the arrest of Abedini. Additionally, a President-elect cannot deal with specific dossiers—this is the prerogative of the incumbent. And therefore, Meloni did not speak with Trump about the case but, most probably, about the role that Italy should take as mediator between the Trump administration and the EU.
Nevertheless, in the Abedini case, it is speculated that Meloni will deny extradition to the United States, hoping that Trump will understand.
