Iran's Foreign Ministry on Saturday denied claims that a meeting occurred between the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations and Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and close ally of US President-elect Donald Trump, CNN reported, citing Iranian state media.
The New York Times reported on Thursday that the meeting took place this week, citing two Iranian officials. The Associated Press also published a similar report, referencing information from a U.S. official who had been briefed by a foreign counterpart.
However, Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, “categorically denied” the meeting and expressed “surprise” at the US media's coverage of it, as reported by state-run IRNA news agency.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi also denied that the meeting occurred.
“This (reported meeting) was a fabricated story by American media, and the motives behind this can also be speculated,” Araqchi said.
According to the Times, the meeting between Musk and Iranian envoy Amir Saeid Iravani allegedly occurred at a secret location in New York on Monday. The session reportedly lasted over an hour, with discussions centered on easing tensions between the US and Iran, per Iranian officials cited in the report.
When asked about the meeting, Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director, stated, “We do not comment on reports of private meetings that did or did not occur.” Musk did not respond to a request for comment.