Tech mogul Elon Musk, a close ally of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, met with Iranian UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani on Monday in New York, The New York Times reported late on Thursday, citing two Iranian officials.
According to the report, the secret meeting, requested by Musk, lasted over an hour and was described as "positive" and "good news." Musk did not respond to requests for comment from the Times.
Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, declined to address the meeting, saying, “We do not comment on reports of private meetings that did or did not occur.”
Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for Trump’s transition team, said, “The American people re-elected President Trump because they trust him to lead our country and restore peace through strength around the world. When he returns to the White House, he will take the necessary action to do just that.”
According to the Times, the meeting allowed Iran to engage indirectly with the incoming administration, as Musk is expected to take a role in the Trump administration as co-director of a yet-to-be-estblished government efficiency agency. Iranian officials reportedly suggested Musk seek sanctions exemptions from the U.S. Treasury and explore bringing his businesses to Tehran.
An official in Iran’s Foreign Ministry viewed the meeting as an opportunity to reset relations with Washington. “An early direct meeting between a senior Iranian official and Mr. Musk raises the possibility of a change in tone between Tehran and Washington under the Trump administration, despite a charged history between the president-elect and Iran,” the Times wrote.
President Biden greets Donald Trump at the White House
(Video: Reuters)
During his campaign, Trump criticized the Biden administration’s Iran policy and expressed willingness to quickly negotiate a new nuclear deal with Tehran in lieu of the one the Republican leader withdrew from in 2018. “I would’ve made a fair deal with Iran. The deal was simple: Iran can’t have a nuclear missile,” Trump said in September.
Iranian officials and Foreign Minister Abbas Arghachi have hinted at a potential diplomatic opening. “We agreed to proceed with courage and goodwill. Iran has never left the negotiation table on its peaceful nuclear program,” Arghachi posted on X after meeting with IAEA chief Rafael Grossi in Tehran.
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