Elon Musk's Meeting with Iran's Ambassador to the UN 'At the Request of the Iranians'

The Associated Press reported and confirmed the meeting between Elon Musk, senior advisor to the elected President of the United States, and Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, citing an American official who stated that the meeting was at the request of the Iranians. The news agency added that the conversation between Elon Musk and Amir Saeed Iravani included various topics such as Iran's nuclear program, the Islamic Republic's support for anti-Israeli groups across the Middle East, and the prospects for improving relations with the United States. The news of this meeting was first published by The New York Times, which reported that, according to Iranian officials, the focus of the discussion was on 'how to reduce tensions' between Iran and the U.S. CBS also reported on Friday, November 25, citing two informed sources, that the meeting took place on Tuesday at the residence of the Iranian ambassador in New York, and 'there is no indication that Donald Trump was aware of this meeting.' However, the Associated Press, quoting an American official, wrote that 'the Iranians were seeking a meeting with Musk' and 'this meeting did not take place at the Iranian mission to the United Nations.' According to this American official, who requested anonymity, 'no immediate decisions were made by either party during this meeting.' Multiple reports indicate that it is unclear whether Donald Trump's team, including Marco Rubio and Mike Waltz, Trump's options for Secretary of State and National Security Advisor, were aware of this meeting. The New York Times reported that Elon Musk and the Iranian ambassador to the UN met confidentially. CBS, on Friday, described the conversation with Musk as a means for Tehran to bypass them, referring to the views of Marco Rubio and Mike Waltz regarding Iran. According to this report, Iranian government officials 'are seeking a channel to enter Trump's circle and know that he is eager for a deal and has praised Iran's negotiating skills.' The Iranian mission to the United Nations did not comment on this meeting, but in response to questions about recent media reports regarding backdoor communications and correspondence from the Islamic Republic, it stated that it does not issue public statements regarding 'official messages exchanged between the two countries.' The statement also emphasized that 'the Islamic Republic of Iran has long declared its commitment to pursuing the assassination of Qassem Soleimani through legal and judicial means while fully adhering to recognized principles of international law.' Mr. Trump's office has not yet reacted to the CBS and Associated Press reports, and a day earlier, in response to The New York Times report, it stated that it does not comment on private meetings. Meanwhile, Elliott Abrams, who was the U.S. special representative for Iran during Trump's previous administration, called Elon Musk's meeting with Amir Saeed Iravani 'dangerous' and told Jewish Insider: 'It does not seem that Mr. Musk is aware of previous exchanges between the U.S. and Iran, and he may have created perceptions for the Iranians about future U.S. policies that could cause trouble after January 20 [the start of Donald Trump's presidency].' Jewish Insider also quoted Jason Braddock, a director at the 'United Against a Nuclear Iran' organization, stating that Elon Musk's meeting with the Iranian ambassador apparently took place before the appointments of Marco Rubio and Mike Waltz were announced. The meeting between Elon Musk and the Iranian ambassador to the UN reportedly lasted over an hour. This meeting occurred while the U.S. Justice Department had recently formally charged three individuals for their connections with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps regarding the assassination of Donald Trump. However, Iranian officials, including Ismail Baqai, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, rejected this accusation and called it an attempt to 'complicate' issues between Iran and the U.S.