Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi strongly denied a reported meeting between Tehran's United Nations envoy and U.S. billionaire Elon Musk, state TV reported on Saturday.
"This was a fabricated story by American media, and the motives behind this can also be speculated," Araqchi said.
Tehran's denial of the meeting comes following a New York Times report published on Thursday citing several Iranian officials who said Musk sojourned with Iranian UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani in New York on Monday.
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.”
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.
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