The BBC’s US companion CBS confirmed that Musk met Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations the day earlier than he was appointed co-head of Donald Trump’s new cost-cutting unit.
In accordance with the New York Occasions, which first reported the matter, the assembly was held on the residence of Ambassador Amir Saeed Irawani in New York and was supposed to debate methods to ease tensions between the 2 international locations.
It was unclear whether or not President-elect Trump or his nationwide safety group knew in regards to the assembly.
A number of current appointees to Trump’s nationwide safety group, together with Mike Walz and Marco Rubio, are outstanding Iran hawks who imagine the US ought to take a harder stance on Iran.
The USA has no diplomatic relations with Tehran, however the personal assembly with Musk supplied an answer that will enable Iran to keep away from assembly with U.S. officers, in response to the New York Occasions.
The newspaper additionally stated Musk requested a gathering with the ambassador, which Iranian officers known as “constructive” and “excellent news.”
“We don’t touch upon experiences of personal conferences that did or didn’t happen,” Trump spokesman Steven Chang stated.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations and the White Home declined CBS Information’ requests for remark.
Throughout his first time period as president, Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal brokered in the course of the presidency of Barack Obama and reinstated crippling financial sanctions which have U.S. firms are largely prohibited from doing enterprise in Iran.
Trump additionally ordered an airstrike in 2020 that killed Iranian army commander Qasem Soleimani.
The president-elect can be a staunch supporter of Israel, which has been at struggle with Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 final yr.
Musk is recently appointed Co-head of Donald Trump’s new cost-cutting unit, which can advise on authorities value cuts however is not going to develop into a proper division of the federal government.
The tech billionaire and Tesla boss additionally joined Trump in a cellphone name with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and has been concerned in offering communications to the Ukrainian army by way of his Starlink satellite tv for pc community system. performed a key function.
