Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and a close confidant of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, reportedly met with Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations to discuss potential measures to improve relations between the two nations.
The New York Times reported that Musk discussed strategies to ease tensions between the U.S. and Iran with Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s UN ambassador, on Monday in New York. While the location of the meeting remains undisclosed, Iranian officials confirmed that the two discussed the conversation as positive and promising.
Notably, Ambassador Iravani raised the issue of U.S. sanctions against Iran, suggesting that Musk seek a waiver from the Treasury Department to bring parts of his business operations to Iran.
According to an official, Musk requested the meeting. As Musk emerges as a key figure in Trump’s second-term administration following his election victory, this meeting signals his potential influence on future U.S. foreign policy.
Attention is also focused on President-elect Trump’s diplomatic approach to Iran, a nation with which he has historically maintained strained relations. In 2018, during his first term, Trump withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a nuclear agreement brokered under the Obama administration, and reinstated economic sanctions on Iran. Moreover, on November 8, U.S. federal prosecutors revealed findings that Iran allegedly plotted to assassinate Trump during the presidential election period.
The New York Times noted that this meeting has sparked speculation about a potential shift in U.S.-Iran relations during Trump’s second term.
