Iran is taking an increasingly hardline stance against the UN nuclear watchdog and the US as it steps up its enrichment programme despite growing concerns it is hiding some nuclear facilities.
Comments from senior Iranian officials on Monday directed at the International Atomic Energy Agency's position illustrate the growing gap between the sides despite months of negotiations over a return to the 2015 agreement with global powers to limit nuclear enrichment.
Iranian opposition and human rights activists also accused Tehran of corruption, mismanagement of public money and using state funds to bankroll proxy armed groups across the region at a time when people struggle to cope with a financial crisis.
Iranians face rising inflation and the plummeting value of the national currency. There have been protests against rises in fuel prices and increasing unemployment, according to the World Bank.
However, the government in Tehran remains defiant and has insisted that the economy is resilient in the face of heavy US sanctions linked to the country's nuclear programme and support for terrorist groups.
On Monday, the Foreign Ministry criticised IAEA director general Rafael Grossi after he said the only way for Iran to rebuild trust with the international community and get a deal to lift sanctions was to let UN inspectors back into nuclear sites to assess the situation.
“He should review [his behaviour] and be careful not to talk about one of the extremely important members of the IAEA with non-technical language. This is beyond his mandate,” said Saeed Khatibzadeh, the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Mr Grossi told CNN on Sunday that Iran needed to allow inspectors into nuclear sites.
According to the IAEA, Iran removed 27 surveillance cameras from nuclear facilities across the country last week, as the watchdog’s 35-nation board overwhelmingly passed a resolution criticising Tehran for undeclared nuclear activities.
Mr Grossi told reporters in Vienna on Friday that this could deal a “fatal blow” to the stalled talks to revive a 2015 nuclear deal as Tehran enriches uranium closer to weapons-grade levels.
The administration of US president Donald Trump left the deal in 2018 and reimposed more sanctions on Iran.
“This, of course, poses a serious challenge to our ability to continue working there,” Mr Grossi said.
Iran has always insisted its nuclear programme is peaceful despite admitting to enriching uranium close to weapons grade and far beyond the level needed for power, medical or industrial use.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos last month, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian hit out at the incumbent US administration and criticised it for keeping up with the “maximum pressure” policy adopted by Mr Trump.
He also dismissed reports about his country’s hidden nuclear work as “lies fabricated” by Israel.
A recent IAEA report following an investigation into unexplained nuclear material found at three undeclared sites in Iran said that the government “has not provided explanations that are technically credible in relation to the agency's findings at those locations,” according to Reuters.
Despite this, Iran continues to accuse the West and the UN of biased negotiation.
“We are for a strong, lasting and good deal and we are committed to it. But there must be a realistic approach to finalise it. The US side has to make the decision and the ball is in their court,” Mr Amirabdollahian said.
Reshaping the geopolitics of the region
The nuclear standoff comes as several countries in the region have moved to reshape alliances over recent weeks to confront the threat Tehran and its proxies in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq pose.
Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz on Tuesday called for countries that share a concern about Iran to work together to strengthen their military position under US aegis as President Joe Biden plans a visit to the Gulf in the coming weeks.
“In the face of Iranian belligerence … what is needed is not just co-operation, but also a regional force build-up, with American leadership, which would strengthen all parties involved,” he said, according to an official transcript.
In March, Israel hosted a summit that brought together senior diplomats from the UAE, the US, Israel, Egypt, Morocco and Bahrain.
Israeli officials told local media at the time that the unprecedented gathering was primarily aimed at creating a “regional security architecture.”
The landmark Abraham Accords between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain and followed by agreements between Israel and Morocco and Sudan have paved the way for such direct meetings on issues of regional concern.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that with the agreements, “once-impossible things have become possible”.
The Accords, signed at the White House in 2020, were Israel's first normalisation of ties with an Arab country since Egypt signed a peace agreement with Israel in 1979 and Jordan became the second Arab country to sign a peace accord with Israel in 1994.
Michael A Horowitz, head of intelligence at the Bahrain-based Le Beck International, the Middle East and North Africa security consultancy group, said that there is a real effort to better integrate defences to protect against some of the common threats posed by Iranian proxies.
There are growing concerns about Iran’s arsenal of ballistic missiles and the armed drones used by the Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen that have been used against Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, the UAE's capital.
But Mr Horowitz also points to Iran's outreach to Gulf neighbours for talks separate from international dialogue over sanctions.
“In general, Iran has also been aware that it is Israel's ‘best salesman’ in the Gulf, which partly explains why Iranian President [Ebrahim] Raisi engaged in an effort to restore some of the ties between Iran and the Gulf — with limited success so far,” Mr Horowitz told The National.
Meanwhile, the animosity between Iran and Israel — which staunchly opposes the nuclear deal — has heightened in recent weeks after Iran accused Israel on Monday of assassinating two members of its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in separate incidents at the weekend. The IRGC is designated as a terrorist group by the US and several other states.
Tehran has blamed Israel of carrying out several assassinations of high-ranking officers and military scientists in the country and abroad. Israel has made no comment on the accusations.
One of the most high-profile was the 2020 killing of Iran’s leading military nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.
He was killed by a remote-controlled machinegun while travelling in a car outside Tehran.
Iran has said it will avenge the killings.
In March, Iranian state media said that Tehran launched a dozen ballistic missiles on what it called “Israeli targets” in the Iraqi city of Erbil in the northern Kurdistan region.
Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
The Lowdown
Us
Director: Jordan Peele
Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseqph, Evan Alex and Elisabeth Moss
Rating: 4/5
From Conquest to Deportation
Jeronim Perovic, Hurst
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
RESULTS
2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,000m
Winner: AF Mozhell, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Khalifa Al Neyadi (trainer)
2.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Majdi, Szczepan Mazur, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
3pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: AF Athabeh, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
3.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: AF Eshaar, Bernardo Pinheiro, Khalifa Al Neyadi
4pm: Gulf Cup presented by Longines Prestige (PA) Dh150,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Al Roba’a Al Khali, Al Moatasem Al Balushi, Younis Al Kalbani
4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Apolo Kid, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muahiri
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Disability on screen
Empire — neuromuscular disease myasthenia gravis; bipolar disorder; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Rosewood and Transparent — heart issues
24: Legacy — PTSD;
Superstore and NCIS: New Orleans — wheelchair-bound
Taken and This Is Us — cancer
Trial & Error — cognitive disorder prosopagnosia (facial blindness and dyslexia)
Grey’s Anatomy — prosthetic leg
Scorpion — obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety
Switched at Birth — deafness
One Mississippi, Wentworth and Transparent — double mastectomy
Dragons — double amputee
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test India won by innings and 53 runs at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
Result
UAE (S. Tagliabue 90 1') 1-2 Uzbekistan (Shokhruz Norkhonov 48', 86')
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 1', Kane 8' & 16') West Ham United 3 (Balbuena 82', Sanchez og 85', Lanzini 90' 4)
Man of the match Harry Kane
'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey'
Rating: 3/5
Directors: Ramin Bahrani, Debbie Allen, Hanelle Culpepper, Guillermo Navarro
Writers: Walter Mosley
Stars: Samuel L Jackson, Dominique Fishback, Walton Goggins
Indoor Cricket World Cup
Venue Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE squad Saqib Nazir (captain), Aaqib Malik, Fahad Al Hashmi, Isuru Umesh, Nadir Hussain, Sachin Talwar, Nashwan Nasir, Prashath Kumara, Ramveer Rai, Sameer Nayyak, Umar Shah, Vikrant Shetty
UAE v Zimbabwe A, 50 over series
Fixtures
Thursday, Nov 9 - 9.30am, ICC Academy, Dubai
Saturday, Nov 11 – 9.30am, ICC Academy, Dubai
Monday, Nov 13 – 2pm, Dubai International Stadium
Thursday, Nov 16 – 2pm, ICC Academy, Dubai
Saturday, Nov 18 – 9.30am, ICC Academy, Dubai
Honeymoonish
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elie%20El%20Samaan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENour%20Al%20Ghandour%2C%20Mahmoud%20Boushahri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group H
Juventus v Valencia, Tuesday, midnight (UAE)
Joy%20Ride%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Adele%20Lim%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAshley%20Park%2C%20Sherry%20Cola%2C%20Stephanie%20Hsu%2C%20Sabrina%20Wu%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
'Ghostbusters: From Beyond'
Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace
Rating: 2/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
%3Cp%3EThe%20Department%20of%20Culture%20and%20Tourism%20-%20Abu%20Dhabi%E2%80%99s%20Arabic%20Language%20Centre%20will%20mark%20International%20Women%E2%80%99s%20Day%20at%20the%20Bologna%20Children's%20Book%20Fair%20with%20the%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Translation%20Conference.%20Prolific%20Emirati%20author%20Noora%20Al%20Shammari%2C%20who%20has%20written%20eight%20books%20that%20%20feature%20in%20the%20Ministry%20of%20Education's%20curriculum%2C%20will%20appear%20in%20a%20session%20on%20Wednesday%20to%20discuss%20the%20challenges%20women%20face%20in%20getting%20their%20works%20translated.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
%3Cp%3ECreator%3A%20Tima%20Shomali%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%C2%A0Tara%20Abboud%2C%C2%A0Kira%20Yaghnam%2C%20Tara%20Atalla%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2018 BMW X2 and X3
Price, as tested: Dh255,150 (X2); Dh383,250 (X3)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged inline four-cylinder (X2); 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline six-cylinder (X3)
Power 192hp @ 5,000rpm (X2); 355hp @ 5,500rpm (X3)
Torque: 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (X2); 500Nm @ 1,520rpm (X3)
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic (X2); Eight-speed automatic (X3)
Fuel consumption, combined: 5.7L / 100km (X2); 8.3L / 100km (X3)
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Tuesday (UAE kick-off times)
Leicester City v Brighton (9pm)
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United (11.15pm)
Wednesday
Manchester United v Sheffield United (9pm)
Newcastle United v Aston Villa (9pm)
Norwich City v Everton (9pm)
Wolves v Bournemouth (9pm)
Liverpool v Crystal Palace (11.15pm)
Thursday
Burnley v Watford (9pm)
Southampton v Arsenal (9pm)
Chelsea v Manchester City (11.15pm)
