Iran ‘categorically denies’ UN envoy met Elon Musk | CNN
Iran's foreign ministry dismissed claims that there was a meeting between the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations and Elon Musk, the richest person in the world and a close associate of President-elect Donald Trump, according to reports from Iranian state media on Saturday.
The New York Times mentioned that the meeting happened earlier this week, referencing two officials from Iran. Similarly, the Associated Press covered the gathering, citing a U.S. official who was informed by a foreign counterpart.
The spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry, Esmaeil Baghaei, strongly rejected claims that any meeting occurred and expressed his astonishment at the way it was reported in the US media, according to the state-run news agency IRNA.
According to The Times, a secret meeting took place on Monday in New York between Musk and Iran's representative, Amir Saeid Iravani. The meeting lasted over an hour, and Iranian officials have indicated that the conversations centered around finding ways to ease the tensions between their two nations.
CNN has contacted Musk, Trump’s transition team, and the Iranian delegation at the UN to verify the meeting.
The news about the supposed meeting sparked curiosity regarding Musk's potential role in the upcoming administration, particularly concerning US foreign policy.
Just a week ago, the day after the presidential election, Musk participated in a call with Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as reported by two sources. Trump put the call on speaker mode, and Zelensky expressed his gratitude to Musk for the assistance he provided in ensuring communication support via Starlink during Ukraine's ongoing conflict with Russia, one source mentioned.
On Tuesday, Trump revealed that Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will head a new initiative called the “Department of Government Efficiency” if he returns to office. Musk, the chief executive of SpaceX and Tesla, has secured billions in federal contracts from various agencies, including NASA and the military. This announcement sparked immediate worries regarding possible conflicts of interest.
It's not obvious how the department that Trump mentioned, which he claimed would offer "advice and guidance from outside the Government," would function. There's also uncertainty about whether the US Congress, even with Republicans in complete control, would be willing to support such a large-scale change in government spending and operations.
This report includes contributions from Tara John at CNN.
