Italy’s justice minister has asked to lift the arrest of an Iranian wanted by the United States for allegedly supplying material used in a drone strike that killed three American soldiers, the Italian government said Sunday.

Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi, 38, was arrested last month in Milan and the US Department of Justice requested his extradition. He is accused of illegally providing material used in an attack by an Iran-backed militia on a military base in Jordan.

On Sunday, the Italian Ministry of Justice said there were no grounds for his extradition. Shortly after the announcement, Iranian state media and Mr. Abedini’s lawyer said he was free, but the Italian government has not yet confirmed this.

The Italian ministry’s request to revoke the arrest came just days after Iran frees Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, who was arrested in Iran three days after Mr. Abedini was detained. She was arrested on charges of violating the laws of the Islamic Republic, although the Iranian government has never disclosed the details.

Although the Italian government has never confirmed any link between the two cases, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said last week that Ms Sala’s release was the result of diplomatic “triangulation” with the United States and Iran.

Shortly after Italy’s announcement, IRNA, Iran’s state news agency, said the man would “return to his country in a few hours.”

In a government statement on Sunday, Italy’s justice ministry said that under the extradition treaty between Italy and the United States, a person can only be extradited for crimes punishable in both countries. Mr. Abedini’s case, they said, did not fit the criteria.

One of the crimes he was charged with — conspiring to export sophisticated electronic components in violation of U.S. export control and sanctions laws — has not been punished in Italy, the ministry said.

Italy’s justice ministry also said it had received no evidence to justify another charge against Mr. Abedinija: that he allegedly provided material support to a foreign terrorist organization. The Justice Department said it knew only that Mr. Abedini produced and traded technologies with Iran that had potential, but not exclusive, military uses.

Leily Nikounazar contributed reporting.