Italian journalist detained by Iranian police..."Running him to be released".

An Italian journalist operating in Tehran, Iran, has been detained by police, Italy's foreign ministry says.

The Foreign Ministry explained that its citizen journalist Cecilia Salah was arrested in Tehran on the 19th and is confirming the legal basis of the arrest and conditions of detention to Iranian authorities.The Italian daily Il Foglio, which includes

Sala, stressed that Salah had entered the country on a formal visa and that journalism was not a crime and called for his immediate release.

Iran has not confirmed Salah's arrest, but it could take weeks to make an official announcement, the Associated Press said.

He added that since the 1979 hostage crisis at the U.S. Embassy, Iran has used prisoners from the West as bargaining chips.

Jason Rezaian, a Washington Post reporter who was arrested in Iran in 2016, was arrested for more than 540 days and released on an exchange of prisoners.