Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest person and close ally of President-elect Donald Trump, met with Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations on Monday, the New York Times reported, citing two Iranian officials.
The meeting between Musk and Iran’s envoy Amir Saeid Iravani was held at a secret location in New York and lasted more than an hour, the NYT reported, citing the Iranian officials, who reportedly described the discussion as focused on how to defuse tensions between the two countries.
The reported meeting comes as experts speculate that the next four years could pose a significant test for Iran. Tehran under Trump’s scrutiny could lead to a return of the “maximum pressure” campaign he imposed during his last presidency, which increased Iran’s isolation and crippled its economy, experts say.
Since Trump left office in 2020, Iran has ramped up enrichment of uranium, increased its oil exports, stepped up support for regional militant groups, and has set a precedent by striking Israel in a direct attack twice.
The billionaire’s reported conversation with the Iranian official raises questions about what his influence might look like in the incoming administration, especially when it comes to US foreign policy.
Just last week, the day after the presidential election, Musk joined Trump’s call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to two sources. Trump put the call on speaker and Zelensky thanked Musk for his help with providing communications through Starlink to Ukraine in the ongoing war with Russia, a source added.
Trump announced Tuesday that Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency” in his second administration. Musk, who is the CEO of Space X and Tesla, has benefitted from billions of dollars worth of federal contracts, including from NASA, the military and other US government agencies, and the announcement raised immediate concerns about potential conflicts of interest.
It is not immediately clear how the department – which Trump said would “provide advice and guidance from outside of Government” – would operate, and whether a Congress even fully controlled by Republicans would have the appetite to approve such a massive overhaul of government spending and operations.
This is a developing story and will be updated.