Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has emerged as a close ally of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, recently met with Iran to discuss ways to improve relations between the two countries.
On the 14th local time, the New York Times reported, citing two Iranian officials, that Musk met with Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Amir Saeid Irabani in New York on the 11th.
The officials said Musk and Ambassador Irabani had a meeting for more than an hour, describing it as positive and "good news."
Speaking at the meeting, Irabani reportedly cited U.S. sanctions against Iran and suggested that Musk should get a sanction exemption from the Treasury Department and bring some of his business to Iran.
The meeting between the two took place at Musk's request and was decided by Ambassador Irabani, an official said.
The meeting is noteworthy as Musk, who has recently shown his close ties with Trump and is gaining a "big shot" position, also hinted at the possibility of affecting the next administration's foreign policy.
In particular, Iran has had a tough relationship with Trump.
During his presidency in 2018, Trump broke the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) reached with Iran under the leadership of his predecessor Barack Obama and implemented a "maximum pressure" policy on Iran.
Relations between the two countries also worsened in 2020 when Gaseem Soleimani, the commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, was assassinated on Trump's orders.
On the 8th, the U.S. federal prosecutor's investigation that Iran had plotted to assassinate Trump during the presidential campaign was released.
However, analysts observed that both Iran and Trump appear to have left the door open to diplomacy.
"Everything is possible for Trump," said Ali Baez, an Iran expert at the U.S. think tank International Crisis Group (ICG), adding, "He seems interested in doing business with Iran."
The New York Times said the meeting between Musk and Ambassador Irabani "causes observations that the tone between Iran and the United States could change in the second Trump administration."
Earlier, Musk drew attention when he reportedly attended Trump's phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after his presidential election victory.
The New York Times quoted Iulia Mendel, Zelensky's former spokeswoman, as saying that Musk and Zelensky have also spoken on the phone at least twice.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that Musk has regularly communicated with Russian President Vladimir Putin since 2022.
However, Russia dismissed the report, calling it "fake information."
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