Elon Musk has met with Iran's ambassador to the UN. This happened a day before Musk was named by Donald Trump to head the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, the New York Times reported.
The meeting discussed ways to reduce tensions between Iran and the United States, according to Iranian officials.
One of the Iranian officials said the Tesla CEO had requested the meeting and that the ambassador had chosen the location.
As Trump prepares to address conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, Musk, the world's richest man, is facilitating the discussions with foreign officials.
Earlier this month, Musk attended a conversation between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian leader reportedly thanked Musk for the satellites he had been providing Ukraine through his company Starlink.
"Now he's engaging with the Iranians," said Sina Tusi, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy. "And the Iranians haven't engaged the Americans in direct negotiations since before Trump left the nuclear deal, so this could be a very big deal."
Trump's relationship with Iran is acrimonious to say the least. During his presidency, he decided that the United States would withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran made during Barack Obama's tenure and reinstated tough economic sanctions against Tehran.
During his presidency, Trump ordered the US strike that killed Major General Qasim Soleimani, commander of the elite Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, in January 2020. | BGNES
