2nd Spaniard arrested in Iran amid protests; Italian freed

MADRID (AP) — Italy’s premier says an Italian woman arrested in Iran amid protests has been freed. Premier Giorgia Meloni announced the release of Alessia Piperno at a news conference Thursday. Spain’s foreign ministry earlier said a Spanish woman has been arrested in Iran, the second Spaniard in just over a month to be detained there amid mass unrest. The foreign ministry said Thursday that the Spanish Embassy in Tehran is following the case and is in touch with the family of 24-year-old Ana Baneira. It declined to provide further details. The embassy is also dealing with the case of a Spanish man who was trekking from Madrid to Doha for the 2022 FIFA World Cup when he is believed to have been arrested in Iran early last month.