Elon Musk meets with Iran’s UN envoy to discuss US-Iran relations: Report

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - Tech billionaire Elon Musk, who is an adviser to US President-elect Donald Trump, met earlier this week with Iran’s envoy to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, to discuss potential ways to reduce tensions between the US and Iran, The New York Times reported Thursday.

Iranian officials familiar with the meeting said the private session took place in New York on Monday at a secret location and lasted over an hour, the report said.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the discussion as "positive" and "good news" amid a charged history between Trump and Tehran.

The report said the meeting implies a potential shift in tone for US-Iran relations under the Trump administration, which had previously taken a hardline stance.

During his first term, Trump announced that the US would withdraw from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the so-called Iran nuclear deal, and imposed tough sanctions on Iran.

Iranian leaders, however, have begun to debate the possibility of a new deal with the US that could ease sanctions, with Musk’s involvement offering a path for indirect engagement.

Iran’s UN mission declined to comment on the meeting, the report noted.

Musk will soon hold an official position as co-director of a government efficiency agency under the Trump administration.