Iran denies reports Elon Musk met with ambassador in New York

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Saturday that claims Musk met with the country’s permanent representative in New York were untrue, according to state media outlet IRNA.

Baghaei described the reports — which first appeared in the New York Times and later the Associated Press — as “categorically false” and reportedly expressed surprise at the widespread reporting on the purported meeting.

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The New York Times reported on Thursday that Musk met with Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani, who heads the Iranian diplomatic mission to the United Nations in New York. The paper cited two unnamed Iranian officials as sources, claiming they described the meeting as “positive.”

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The Associated Press published a report on Saturday asserting the meeting took place on Monday and covered topics such as Iran’s nuclear program and hostilities with Israel. The Associated Press cited an unnamed U.S. official as its source, who claimed the meeting was initiated at Iran’s behest.

President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team declined outlets’ requests for comment as part of their larger policy of not responding to inquiries about “private meetings that did or did not occur.”

Since winning the presidential election earlier this month, Trump has kept Musk close as an adviser, including on issues of international importance.

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While speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the Wednesday following his victory, Trump at one point handed the phone over to Musk. Zelensky was reportedly pleased with the brief conversation.

Trump has stated he plans to partner Musk with entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to head the Department of Government Efficiency, a commission that “will provide advice and guidance from outside of Government, and will partner with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to drive large scale structural reform.”