Iran's Foreign Ministry Denies Meeting with Elon Musk

Following rising criticisms from certain political factions in Iran regarding the meeting between the Islamic Republic's representative at the UN and Elon Musk, the spokesperson for the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied the meeting. Ismail Baqaei described the meeting between Elon Musk, a future cabinet member of Donald Trump, and Amir Saeed Iravani, the permanent representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran in New York, as 'media maneuvering'. Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported, citing an American official, that the Iranian government sought a meeting with Elon Musk. According to the news agency, this action by Iran appears to be part of a series of efforts aimed at reducing tensions with the elected President Donald Trump. The Associated Press noted that various topics were discussed in this meeting, including Iran's nuclear program, the country's support for anti-Israeli groups across the Middle East, and the prospect of improving relations with the United States. The news agency quoted the informed official as saying, 'No immediate decisions were made by either party.' The New York Times reported on Friday, November 25, that Elon Musk, a close associate of the elected President Donald Trump, met and discussed with the Islamic Republic's ambassador at the United Nations in New York. The New York Times, citing two Iranian officials, stated that the meeting between Iravani and Musk allowed the Islamic Republic to find a way to negotiate without direct talks with an American official. The New York Times also reported that the Islamic Republic had assured the Biden administration that it would not attempt to assassinate Donald Trump. Elon Musk is set to soon play his official role in the Trump administration and has been introduced as the co-director of a new government organization aimed at increasing the efficiency of the federal government. An Iranian Foreign Ministry official told the New York Times that Iravani proposed to Musk to obtain exemptions from sanctions from the U.S. Treasury and bring some of his businesses to Tehran. As of the time of this report, Voice of America has not been able to independently confirm or deny this report.