An Italian journalist detained in Iran whose fate became intertwined with that of an Iranian engineer wanted by the United States says she assumed she would have been held much longer.

Italian journalist Cecilia Sala has expressed relief following her release from 21 days of detention in Iran, attributing her swift return partly to a connection with Elon Musk. In a recent interview,

An Italian journalist detained in Iran whose fate became intertwined with that of an Iranian engineer wanted by the United States said she assumed she would have been held much longer and said her boyfriend's contact with Elon Musk might have been "fundamental" to her release.

Italian journalist Cecilia Sala has told how Elon Musk played a pivotal role in her release from an Iranian detention center.