Enrique Mora, deputy secretary general of European External Action Service, and Iranian deputy at Ministry of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi wait for the start of talks on reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in Vienna. Reuters
Enrique Mora, deputy secretary general of European External Action Service, and Iranian deputy at Ministry of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi wait for the start of talks on reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in Vienna. Reuters
Enrique Mora, deputy secretary general of European External Action Service, and Iranian deputy at Ministry of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi wait for the start of talks on reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in Vienna. Reuters
Enrique Mora, deputy secretary general of European External Action Service, and Iranian deputy at Ministry of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi wait for the start of talks on reviving the 2015 Iran nucle

Iran's president says economic war with the US is over​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​


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US sanctions on Iran could be coming to an end soon, departing Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday.

Addressing the Cabinet and the Iranian people, Mr Rouhani spoke about the ongoing nuclear talks and claimed that "the government has done a great job and ended the [economic] war".

"Thanks to the self-sacrifice of the people and the instructions of the Supreme Leader, who was able to pull the United States to the negotiating table in Vienna, we were able to resolve important issues."

Mr Rouhani said that Iran's chief negotiator Abbas Araghchi had been given the authority needed to move forward and finalise a deal.

"We can end the sanctions today," he said.

Earlier in the day, Mr Rouhani's chief of staff said negotiations between Iran, the US and Europe in Vienna had "progressed a lot".

Addressing the Iranian Students News Agency on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting, Mahmoud Vaezi said that the different sides had agreed on all economic issues and had agreed that more than 1,000 Trump-era sanctions should be lifted.

A US State Department spokesperson said progress has been made, but "nothing is agreed until everything is agreed".

"The precise nature and sequence of the sanctions-related steps that the United States would need to take to achieve a mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA objective is a subject of the talks," they said.
"As we have said, this has been a long road. We've continued to make progress toward defining the contours of an understanding of how we can return to mutual compliance with the JCPOA.
During negotiations of this complexity, negotiators try to draft text that capture the main issues, but again, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed."

They added that Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley and the US delegation anticipated returning for another round of negotiations soon.

Mr Vaezi said sanctions on people and groups connected to the supreme leader would be lifted, but he did not specify whether this would also include Iran's incoming president, Ebrahim Raisi, who was hit with sanctions by the US in 2019.

Ebrahim Raisi, Iran's president-elect, holds his first press conference after winning the presidential election, in the capital Tehran. Bloomberg
Ebrahim Raisi, Iran's president-elect, holds his first press conference after winning the presidential election, in the capital Tehran. Bloomberg

Mr Vaezi also stressed that the departing administration would be working in tandem with the new incoming government to ensure continuity in policy and that no decisions were being made that the new president would be unsatisfied with.

Mr Raisi, Iran's newly elected hardliner president, is due to take office on August 3.

The statements from the Iranian officials came only days after US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the talks in Vienna, which adjourned for a break on Sunday, were far from over.

European officials, however, signalled a more optimistic tone on Wednesday with Germany's foreign minister Heiko Maas insisting he  saw "good chance" of concluding the talks soon on reviving the nuclear deal.

Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Financial considerations before buying a property

Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.

“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says. 

Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.

Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier. 

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELeap%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202021%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ziad%20Toqan%20and%20Jamil%20Khammu%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Undisclosed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Khalid%20Fahad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Shaima%20Al%20Tayeb%2C%20Wafa%20Muhamad%2C%20Hamss%20Bandar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Overview

Cricket World Cup League Two: Nepal, Oman, United States tri-series, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu

Fixtures
Wednesday February 5, Oman v Nepal
Thursday, February 6, Oman v United States
Saturday, February 8, United States v Nepal
Sunday, February 9, Oman v Nepal
Tuesday, February 11, Oman v United States
Wednesday, February 12, United States v Nepal

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Meatless Days
Sara Suleri, with an introduction by Kamila Shamsie
​​​​​​​Penguin 

German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets