Elon Musk Allegedly Promised Iran U.S. Concessions in Secret Deal, Raising Logan Act Questions
Elon Musk speaks at a press conference at SpaceX’s Starbase facility near Boca Chica Village in South Texas on February 10, 2022. (Photo: JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Reports have surfaced that Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, may have privately negotiated with Iran to secure the release of an Italian journalist jailed in the country. If true, the move could raise concerns about a possible violation of the Logan Act, which prohibits unauthorized U.S. citizens from negotiating with foreign governments.
According to The New York Times, Musk held a secret meeting with the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations. During the meeting, Musk allegedly assured Iran that the U.S. would not pressure Italy to extradite an Iranian engineer detained in Italy. The engineer was accused of supplying parts for a drone used in a January 2024 attack on a U.S. military base near the Syrian border, killing three American soldiers and injuring 40 others.
The Department of Defense identified the soldiers killed as Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, and Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, all of Georgia’s 926th Engineer Brigade. Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh attributed the attack to Kataib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militia.
The Biden administration denied any involvement in the negotiations, with National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stating, “The prisoner release deal was an Italian decision from soup to nuts.” However, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s comments suggested otherwise. She credited the release to “complex diplomatic triangulation with Iran, and obviously also with the United States of America.”
Elon Musk negotiated for the release of an Italian journalist imprisoned in Iran by promising the US wouldn't pressure Italy to extradite an Iranian engineer detained in Italy for supplying drone parts used in an attack on a US military base that killed three. www.nytimes.com/2025/01/15/w…
— Ryan Mac 🙃 (@rmac.bsky.social) January 16, 2025 at 12:18 AM
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Adding to the intrigue, Meloni met with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago on January 4, where Musk is reportedly staying. The prisoner swap occurred just days later, leading some experts to speculate about Trump and Musk’s involvement. Former Italian diplomat Ferdinando Nelli Feroci told The Times that Meloni likely received an understanding from Trump’s transition team that the incoming administration would not oppose the engineer’s release.
Although the U.S. government officially disapproved of the deal, the timeline and circumstances suggest backchannel negotiations. The New York Times further reported that Musk will have an office in the White House complex during Trump’s administration, though he will not hold an official appointment.
This development raises questions about Musk’s role in international diplomacy and whether his alleged actions overstepped legal boundaries, particularly under the Logan Act. The controversy underscores the complexities of private citizens engaging in high-stakes global negotiations.
