Iranian media divided over reports of Musk meeting with Irvani

Iranian media divided over reports of Musk meeting with Irvani
Iran's categorical denial of the meeting between Musk and its ambassador highlights the tension in Iranian media's handling of these conflicting claims about foreign policy
November 16, 2024, 7:43 pm

أمريكا وإيران \ تعبيرية \ متداول

On Saturday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry categorically denied any meeting between American billionaire Elon Musk and Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeed Irvani, describing the media's reporting of this news as "astonishing," according to a statement by Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baqai to IRNA.

The denial came in response to a report published by The New York Times on Thursday, claiming that Musk, who is known for his closeness to the newly elected US President Donald Trump, met with the Iranian ambassador in a "secret" meeting that lasted more than an hour on Monday.

The report, citing anonymous Iranian sources, stated that the meeting was described as "positive" and came as an attempt to ease tension between Washington and Tehran.

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Despite the meeting not being officially confirmed by Trump's team or the Iranian mission, the Iranian media was divided over the allegations. "Jomhouri-e Eslami" newspaper described the alleged event as "potentially representing a new path in foreign relations," while the conservative "Kayhan" newspaper strongly criticized any attempt to negotiate with what it called the "American terrorist regime," considering the meeting as "naivety or treason."

Other reports pointed to Elon Musk's growing influence, who is seen as a figure close to Trump, especially after his participation in phone calls between Trump and international leaders during his election campaign.

The reformist "Ham-Mihan" newspaper opined that if the claims are true, they indicate a multilateral diplomatic approach, but called for caution in interpreting its dimensions.

Relations between Iran and the United States have been severed since 1980 and escalated under Trump, who withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018 and re-imposed severe sanctions on Tehran.

Nevertheless, scattered signs from both sides show the possibility of reconsidering the diplomatic path. In this context, Iran expressed its readiness to clarify the international community's concerns about its nuclear program, while affirming its rejection of negotiation under "pressure and intimidation."

Levant-Agencies

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