Report: Elon Musk Met with Iran's UN Ambassador
Report: Elon Musk Met with Iran's UN Ambassador
The Facts
A day prior to being appointed by Pres.-elect Donald Trump as one of the leaders of a soon-to-be Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk met with Iran's ambassador to the UN, according to a New York Times report published Thursday.A day before being appointed by Pres.-elect Donald Trump as one of the leaders of a soon-to-be Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk met with Iran's ambassador to the UN, according to a New York Times report published Thursday.
Two Iranian officials who spoke to the Times on the condition of anonymity described the Monday meeting between Musk and ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani in New York as a discussion of how to defuse tensions between Iran and the US.Two Iranian officials who spoke to the Times on the condition of anonymity described the Monday meeting between Musk and Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani in New York as a discussion of how to defuse tensions between Iran and the US.
The Spin
An unlikely figure has emerged to play a central role in Trump's coming presidency, that figure being Elon Musk. Having broached this meeting with the Iranians and reports that he joined Trump's call with Zelenskyy last week, it's clear that Musk has Trump's ear, at least for the time being.
While it's a big deal that Musk spoke to the Iranians, Trump's relationship with Tehran couldn't be much worse. After pulling out of the nuclear deal, the sanctions, and the killing of Qassim Soleimani, now the Iranians are reportedly seeking to assassinate him, —if the ODNI is to be believed.
