Elon Musk he recently met with Iran’s ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, according to two sources familiar with the meeting.
The meeting was held at the embassy in New York. There is no indication that President-elect Donald Trump’s defense reform team knew about the meeting. And it’s unclear if his newly assembled team of advisers, including Iran hawks, is Marco Rubio again Mike WaltzTrump’s picks for secretary of state and national security adviser, respectively, knew about the meeting. It is not clear whether Trump knew about the meeting.
The New York Times, which first reported on the meeting, said two Iranian officials described it as a discussion on how to ease tensions between the two countries.
The US does not have diplomatic relations with Tehran, meaning that the Biden administration’s contacts with Iran are indirect and often conducted through third parties. American companies are largely prohibited from doing business in Iran due to heavy sanctions. The US considers Iran to be the world’s largest sponsor of terrorism.
Musk’s meeting comes as the Iranians seek an entry point into Trump’s orbit. They know that Trump is serious about making a deal and that he has praised Iran’s intelligence in negotiating.
Most of the new appointees to Trump’s security team are Iran hawks, so seeking a meeting with Musk was a way for Tehran to bypass them.
Musk, the world’s richest man, also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently. Trump put him on the phone with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy when the Ukrainian leader called to congratulate the president-elect on his victory last week, according to the Associated Press. The Wall Street Journal also reported that Musk has been in regular contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin since late 2022.
Margaret Brennan
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