Iran will not be pressured by sanctions or sabotage and the US must return to the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said on Tuesday.
The Iranian official said that an apparent attack on an underground nuclear plant in the country on Sunday strengthens Tehran's hand in ongoing negotiations with world powers over the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday said the country has started enriching uranium to a purity level of 60 per cent in response to the alleged attack on the key nuclear facility at Natanz.
"We have no problem with returning to implementing our JCPOA commitments," Mr Zarif said.
"We will go back to the nuclear deal, we will be all in."
"But the Americans should know that neither sanctions nor acts of sabotage will give them negotiation tools and these acts will only make the situation more difficult for them."
Mr Zarif addressed a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov after their meeting in the Iranian capital.
Mr Zarif said the attack on the Natanz nuclear site, which he blamed on Israel, created an "opportunity" for Iran to rebuild with more advanced technology.
"In the near future, the Natanz facility will be equipped with the latest generation centrifuges."
The US withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018, leading Iran to start increasing its enrichment of nuclear material in contravention of the terms of the agreement.
This person is at home playing chess with some invisible person and eating fries, this person is history now
Iran had only three kilos of enriched uranium and was only using first-generation centrifuges when Donald Trump became president, said Mr Zarif.
Now, he claimed, Iran had four tonnes of enriched uranium and was using sixth-generation centrifuges.
Under the 2015 deal, Iran is permitted to only use first-generation centrifuges.
The Iranian foreign minister urged Mr Biden to set a new course for US-Iran relations, while taking a jab at former president Mr Trump.
"This person is at home playing chess with some invisible person and eating fries, this person is history now."
The Russian foreign minister said he expected the Iranian nuclear deal to be saved and condemned Monday's EU sanctions against Iran, saying they could undermine sensitive nuclear talks that began last week in Vienna.
"We expect that it will be possible to preserve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action," Mr Lavrov said, adding that there was no alternative to the nuclear deal of which Russia is a co-signatory.
"We are against any attempts to torpedo these [Vienna] talks."
Mr Lavrov said sanctions brought against Iran on Monday over human right's violations sparked "a huge amount of questions".
"The EU is lacking co-ordination. The left hand does not know what the right hand does," said Mr Lavrov.
The EU imposed sanctions on eight Iranian security officials for human rights breaches during a bloody crackdown on protesters in 2019 that left at least 304 dead.
Europe convened talks in Vienna last week with diplomats shuttling between Iran and the US to begin looking at how both sides can return to comply with the deal that prompted the international community to lift sanctions on Tehran in exchange for inspections and strict curbs on the enrichment of uranium.
The US says Iran must return to compliance before it will lift dozens of sanctions brought in by the Trump administration. Iran demands sanctions are lifted before returning to the JCPOA terms.
Talks are set to resume on Wednesday.
Iran and Russia also signed a joint agreement on cultural co-operation on Tuesday and discussed areas of mutual interest, including economics, nuclear energy and regional security.
Mr Lavrov said Russia and Iran's positions on Afghanistan and Yemen were "very close".
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet
Price, base / as tested: Dh275,250 / Dh328,465
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 245hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,300rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
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Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Manchester United v Liverpool
Premier League, kick off 7.30pm (UAE)
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
Directed by: Shaka King
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons
Four stars
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Under 19 Cricket World Cup, Asia Qualifier
Fixtures
Friday, April 12, Malaysia v UAE
Saturday, April 13, UAE v Nepal
Monday, April 15, UAE v Kuwait
Tuesday, April 16, UAE v Singapore
Thursday, April 18, UAE v Oman
UAE squad
Aryan Lakra (captain), Aaron Benjamin, Akasha Mohammed, Alishan Sharafu, Anand Kumar, Ansh Tandon, Ashwanth Valthapa, Karthik Meiyappan, Mohammed Faraazuddin, Rishab Mukherjee, Niel Lobo, Osama Hassan, Vritya Aravind, Wasi Shah
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.
MATCH INFO
Leeds United 0
Brighton 1 (Maupay 17')
Man of the match: Ben White (Brighton)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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)
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
India cancels school-leaving examinations
Scoreline:
Barcelona 2
Suarez 85', Messi 86'
Atletico Madrid 0
Red card: Diego Costa 28' (Atletico)
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
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EXPATS
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What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
The Two Popes
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce
Four out of five stars
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
More on Quran memorisation:
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
