TEHRAN: Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Saturday “categorically” denied The New York Times report on Tehran’s ambassador to the United Nations meeting with US tech billionaire Elon Musk, state media reported.

In an interview with state news agency IRNA, spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei was reported as “categorically denying such a meeting” and expressing “surprise at the coverage of the American media in this regard”.

The Times reported on Friday that Musk, who is a close ally of President-elect Donald Trump, met earlier this week with Iran’s ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani.

Iranian press divided over envoy’s reported meeting with Musk

It cited anonymous Iranian sources describing the encounter as “positive”.

Iranian newspapers, particularly those aligned with the reformist party that supports President Masoud Pezeshkian, largely described the meeting in positive terms before Baghaei’s statement.

In the weeks leading up to Trump’s re-election, Iranian officials have signalled a willingness to resolve issues with the West.

Iran and the United Stated cut diplomatic ties shortly after the 1979 Islamic revolution that toppled the US-backed shah of Iran, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi.

Since then, both countries have communicated through the Swiss embassy in Tehran and the Sultanate of Oman.