Elon Musk Meets with Saeed Iravani at Islamic Republic’s Request

Elon Musk met with Saeed Iravani, the Islamic Republic’s ambassador to the United Nations, at the request of the Islamic Republic.

According to reports from the Associated Press, an anonymous American official confirmed that the Islamic Republic requested Elon Musk to meet with Saeed Iravani, the Islamic Republic’s ambassador to the United Nations. However, the New York Times reported that the request for this meeting came from Elon Musk himself.

According to the Associated Press, the meeting between Elon Musk and Saeed Iravani took place at the Islamic Republic’s request on Monday, November 21, in which both sides discussed Iran’s “nuclear program,” “Tehran’s support for anti-Israeli groups in the Middle East,” and “prospects for improving Tehran-Washington relations,” though no decisions have yet been made. It is worth noting that their meeting did not take place at the Islamic Republic’s representation to the United Nations.

News agencies showed different reactions to this meeting. The newspaper “Kayhan,” which is run under the supervision of Hossein Shariatmadari, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s representative, reacted to the disclosure of this confidential meeting by writing: “Conducting such a meeting is beyond the authority of the Masoud Pezeshkian government.” However, the newspaper “Sobh-e Now,” which is affiliated with Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, viewed this meeting positively and, in response to it, examined the positive characteristics of Elon Musk’s role-playing in Iran-America issues.

This newspaper, while alluding to Donald Trump, the elected president of the United States, and his characteristics, wrote: “Trump is known for using unconventional tactics in policymaking and diplomacy. He has repeatedly shown a willingness to use non-diplomatic actors to solve complex problems. Musk’s selection as an informal envoy could be seen as part of this non-traditional strategy in relation to Iran.”

The website “Rouydad 24” also, in response to the news published by the newspaper “Sobh-e Now,” while noting that the conservative newspaper “Sobh-e Now” considers Elon Musk’s proximity to Donald Trump, the elected president of the United States, as an important characteristic, emphasized: “This position enables Musk to act as a mediator between the two countries without being directly involved in the formal structures of diplomacy.”

The New York Times also published a report citing two Islamic Republic officials without mentioning their names and wrote: “Elon Musk met with Iravani on November 21 at a secret location and discussed ways to reduce tensions between Tehran and Washington.”