New Iran policy in Washington? Musk is said to have met Tehran’s UN ambassador
November 15, 2024, 3:32 a.m. Listen to article
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Shortly before tech billionaire Musk was appointed as the future Trump administration’s top saver, he is said to have had a secret conversation with Iran’s UN ambassador. Explosive topic: A détente between the USA and the mullah regime.
According to a newspaper report, high-tech billionaire Elon Musk, who is a political ally of US President-elect Donald Trump, met Iran’s UN ambassador for talks about a possible easing of relations with the USA. As the New York Times reported, Musk and Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani spoke at a secret location on Monday.
Several Iranian sources described the more than hour-long meeting as “positive” and spoke of “good news,” as the New York Times further reported. Neither Trump’s transition team nor the Iranian UN mission in New York confirmed the information. The newspaper quoted an Iranian Foreign Ministry official as saying that the Iranian ambassador had urged Musk to seek exemptions from US sanctions and do business in Tehran.
New Secretary of State Rubio is an Iran hardliner
The news became public after Trump nominated Republican Senator Marco Rubio as Secretary of State the day before. Rubio is seen as an advocate of a tough approach towards Iran. If the report from the meeting is confirmed, it could indicate that Trump is serious about a different approach to Iran.
It also points to the exceptionally large influence that Tesla and X boss Musk has on Trump. After Trump’s inauguration on January 20, the 53-year-old will head a new department for efficient governance together with businessman Vivek Ramaswamy. This department, which is not part of the government, is expected to present plans for job cuts and restructuring of the government apparatus to drastically reduce costs.
Iran concluded an international nuclear agreement in 2015 that provided for a gradual lifting of sanctions in return for limits on its nuclear program. The US withdrew from the agreement in 2018 under then-President Trump and reimposed sanctions on Tehran.
