The meeting between Musk, the world’s richest man, and Iravani underscores how Trump may be rewriting the status quo in American diplomacy. It signals that Trump does not need to lean on American diplomats or even political nominees to talk directly to the US’s friends and enemies. In fact, he may prefer not to use them at all.

By bne Tehran bureau As Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House, a reported meeting between Elon Musk and Iran's UN envoy suggests an unexpected opening in diplomatic channels. The New York Times reported that Musk,

This meeting seems dangerous, because it does not seem that Mr. Musk was briefed on previous U.S.-Iran exchanges’