(AFP) – Elon Musk, the tech billionaire closely allied with US President-elect Donald Trump, met Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in a bid to defuse tensions between Tehran and Washington, The New York Times reported Thursday. The newspaper quoted anonymous Iranian sources as describing the meeting between the world’s richest person and Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani as “positive.” The two met for more than an hour at a secret location on Monday, the newspaper said. Neither the Trump transition team nor Iran’s mission to the United Nations immediately confirmed the encounter, with the Iranian mission saying it had no comment.
The meeting, if confirmed, could offer an early indication that Trump is serious about diplomacy with Iran and not choosing the more hawkish approach favored by many conservatives in his Republican Party as well as Israel. It would also show again the extraordinary influence of Musk, the owner of Tesla and X, who has been a near constant presence at Trump’s side, reportedly joining him on telephone calls with world leaders.
Trump, in his last term in office, tore up a deal on Iran’s nuclear program negotiated under his predecessor Barack Obama, instead pursuing a policy of “maximum pressure” that included working to force other nations not to buy Iran’s oil. However, Trump has cast himself as a great dealmaker and during his latest campaign has voiced an openness to diplomacy, despite his avowed support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has ordered military strikes on Iran in tandem with Israel’s war on Hamas.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, considered a moderate within the clerical state, on Thursday told the visiting head of the UN nuclear watchdog that Tehran wanted to clear up doubts about the country’s “peaceful” nuclear program. Iran’s ambassador also urged Musk, in their meeting, to seek US sanctions exemptions and conduct business in Tehran, the Times said, citing an Iranian Foreign Ministry official.
Along with foreign policy, Trump has put Musk and another wealthy entrepreneur, former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, in charge of a new “Department of Government Efficiency” tasked with overhauling the federal bureaucracy. The new initiative has raised questions about conflicts of interest given the extensive interactions between Musk’s businesses and the government. An account for the program has been created on X, formerly Twitter, where it asked applicants to apply through a direct message.
“We need super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week on unglamorous cost-cutting,” said a post on X, adding that “Elon & Vivek will review the top 1% of applicants.”
© 2024 AFP
