Elon Musk met with Iran’s UN ambassador to defuse tensions with US – report

Although the meeting was not confirmed by the Trump administration or the Iranian mission to the UN, anonymous Iranian sources familiar with the matter described it as ‘positive’ and ‘good news.’

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Tech billionaire and top Trump adviser Elon Musk reportedly met with Iran’s UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani in New York on Monday, according to the New York Times.

Although the meeting was not confirmed by the Trump administration or the Iranian mission to the UN, anonymous Iranian sources familiar with the matter described it as “positive” and “good news.”

The meeting appears in contrast with a more hawkish approach expected by the Trump administration, including reports that Trump intends to impose harsh sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

In Donald Trump’s first term as president, he scrapped the 2015 nuclear deal, calling it “a horrible one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made.”

In addition, he imposed harsh sanctions against Iran and ordered the assassination of a top Iranian general, Qassim Suleimani, in Iraq in 2020.

In response, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei banned any negotiations with the Trump administration, and Iranian officials vowed to avenge Mr. Suleimani’s killing.

However, the New York Times reported that many members of President Masoud Pezeshkian’s new government favor engaging with the US, arguing that Mr. Trump is known for making deals and may be persuaded to lift harsh sanctions.

“Overall, everything is possible with Trump,” said Ali Vaez, the Iran director for the International Crisis Group. “He appears to be interested in a deal with Iran.”

President-elect Donald Trump reportedly plans to financially cripple Iran and prevent its funding of terror proxies by applying “maximum pressure” through a program sanctions, particularly on oil exports, the Financial Times reports.

The sanctions aim to drastically reduce Iran’s oil exports, which are currently at 1.5 million barrels a day, up from 400,000.

The blow to Iran’s economy as the result of sanctions could prevent it from funding Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and its own terror activities.

“He’s determined to reinstitute a maximum pressure strategy to bankrupt Iran as soon as possible,” said a national security expert familiar with the Trump transition team.