Iranian press divided over envoy's reported meeting with Elon Musk

TEHRAN, IRAN — 

Iranian media were divided Saturday implicit a reported gathering betwixt Tehran's ambassador to the United Nations and tech billionaire Elon Musk — unconfirmed by Iranian authorities — with immoderate describing it arsenic "positive" portion others called it "treason.”

The New York Times reported Friday that Musk, who is simply a adjacent state of President-elect Donald Trump, met earlier this week with Iranian Ambassador to the U.N. Amir Saeid Iravani.

The Times cited anonymous Iranian sources describing the brushwood arsenic "positive," though neither the Trump modulation squad nor Iran's U.N. ngo instantly confirmed the meeting.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson connected Saturday "categorically" denied the Times study connected the Musk meeting, authorities media reported.

In an interrogation with authorities quality bureau IRNA, spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei was reported arsenic "categorically denying specified a meeting" and expressing "surprise astatine the sum of the American media successful this regard."

However, Iranian media outlets, peculiarly those aligned with the reformist enactment that supports President Masoud Pezeshkian, mostly described the gathering successful affirmative terms.

The Ham Mihan reformist regular noted that "the strategy of the Iranian diplomatic squad is connected people and has elicited a reciprocal and affirmative effect from the American side."

Sazandegi, different reformist outlet, interpreted the gathering arsenic an denotation of Iran engaging successful "secret diplomacy" with the United States.

While it portrayed the gathering arsenic a "positive" development, it nevertheless stressed that it should not beryllium exaggerated.

Musk has been tapped arsenic the co-chair of Trump's projected Department of Government Efficiency.

The Shargh paper from the aforesaid governmental campy suggested that the brushwood reflects "the effect of Donald Trump's progressive diplomacy."

In contrast, the ultraconservative Kayhan regular criticized the reported gathering arsenic "naivety oregon treason" against Iran, slamming Trump for exiting the Iran atomic deal.

The insubstantial said Trump "must wage damages to Iran for violating the atomic agreement," which was signed successful 2015 betwixt Iran and Western powers.

The woody gave Iran alleviation from economical sanctions successful speech for controls connected its atomic program, which Iran has consistently maintained is for peaceful purposes.

The blimpish Jomhouri-e Eslami paper stated that the enactment "can beryllium viewed arsenic the opening of a caller way successful Iran's overseas policy," though it did not sanction Musk, alternatively describing him arsenic Trump's representative.

In the weeks starring up to Trump's reelection, Iranian officials signaled a willingness to resoluteness issues with the West.

Iran and the United States chopped diplomatic ties soon aft the 1979 Islamic gyration that toppled the U.S.-backed shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

Since then, some countries person communicated done the Swiss embassy successful Tehran and the Sultanate of Oman.