DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran’s International Minister Abbas Araqchi on Saturday strongly denied a reported assembly between Tehran’s United Nations envoy and U.S. billionaire Elon Musk, in an interview with state TV.
Araqchi additionally warned that Iran was “prepared for confrontation or cooperation” in its dispute with the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA and Western nations inside the physique over its nuclear programme.
“This (reported meeting) was a fabricated story by American media, and the motives behind this can also be speculated,” Araqchi stated, reiterating an earlier denial by Iran’s International Ministry.
The New York Instances (NYSE:) reported on Thursday that Musk, who’s an adviser to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, met with Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations on Monday.
“In my opinion, the American media’s fabrication about a meeting between Elon Musk and Iran’s representative is a form of testing the waters to see if the ground for such move exists,” Araqchi stated.
“We are still waiting for the new U.S. administration to clarify its policies, and based on that, we will adjust our own policies. Right now, it is neither the time for such meetings nor is it appropriate,” Araqchi stated.
“There was no permission from the leadership for such a meeting,” Araqchi stated, referring to Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the ultimate say in all issues of state.
Relations between Tehran and the IAEA have soured over a number of long-standing points, together with Iran barring the company’s uranium-enrichment consultants from the nation and its failure to clarify uranium traces discovered at undeclared websites.
“Our nuclear path in the coming year will be sensitive and complex, and we are prepared for confrontation or cooperation,” Araqchi stated.
He stated that the 2015 nuclear deal, from which Trump exited in 2018 in his first time period, now not holds the identical worth for Iran.
“If negotiations begin, the nuclear pact may serve as a reference, but it no longer has its previous significance. We must reach a feasible agreement,” Araqchi stated.
