Italian journalist Cecilia Sala has been detained in Iran since Dec. 19 on charges of breaching Islamic law, her plight sparking outrage and a flurry of diplomatic activity involving Rome, Tehran and Washington.

The case of Cecilia Sala, who is detained in Iran, is a test for Italy’s government as it gets caught up in Tehran’s shadow war with the U.S.

Cecilia Sala could be used as "political leverage" after an Iranian citizen was detained by Italy, a US state department spokesman has said.

Iran confirmed the arrest of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, state news agency IRNA said citing the Iranian Ministry of Culture.

Cecilia Sala, a reporter for the Il Foglio daily newspaper, was detained in Tehran on Dec. 19, six days after she arrived on a journalist’s visa.

Italy's foreign ministry summoned the Iranian ambassador on Thursday to demand the immediate release of reporter Cecilia Sala, who was detained in Tehran on Dec. 19 while working under a regular journalistic visa.

Iran's state media say an Italian journalist has been arrested on charges of violating the Islamic Republic's laws.

Iran warned Italy on Friday that it risked harming good bilateral relations if it bows to the "political and hostile goals" of the United States by detaining an Iranian engineer on a U.S. warrant in connection with a drone attack in Jordan last year that killed three American troops.

Italy is working to secure the release of journalist Cecilia Sala, who's been detained in Iran since Dec. 19 for allegedly violating its laws.