Musk, Iran’s UN envoy discuss ways to ease tensions between Iran, US — NYT

US tech entrepreneur Elon Musk and Iran’s Iran’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani have met to discuss ways of easing tensions between Iran and the United States, The New York Times wrote citing anonymous sources, Report informs via TASS.

According to the report, the meeting took place in New York on Monday and lasted for more than an hour. NYT sources described the meeting as "positive" and "good news." Musk is widely viewed as the most powerful private citizen in Trump’s transition team, The New York Times said.

The Iranian Permanent Mission to the United Nations has declined a TASS request for a comment on the issue. Karoline Leavitt, the transition spokeswoman for the incoming Trump-Vance administration, said in a statement that the American people had re-elected Trump because they trust him to "restore peace through strength around the world." "When he returns to the White House, he will take the necessary action to do just that," she added.

Washington and Tehran could eventually conclude a diplomatic deal during Donald Trump’s second tenure as US president, despite "the mutual hostility," The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on November 8. Meanwhile, officials told The WSJ that the president-elect plans to drastically increase the sanctions pressure on Iran and stifle its oil trade. Chinese ports that receive Iranian crude could also be targeted, according to the report.