Additional Coverage:
Elon Musk met with Iran’s UN ambassador before being appointed to Trump’s cost-cutting team. The meeting aimed to ease tensions between the two countries.
It’s unclear if Trump or his team knew about the meeting. Several appointees to Trump’s national security team are known for their tough stance against Iran.
The US has no diplomatic relations with Iran, so the meeting with Musk provided a way to avoid a direct meeting with an American official. Iranian officials described the meeting as positive.
Trump withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal and imposed sanctions on Iran. He also ordered the airstrike that killed Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani.
Musk has played a role in providing communications to Ukraine’s military through his Starlink satellite system. He is known for his support of Israel, which has been at war with Iran-backed groups.