Iran is “closer than ever” to reviving Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said while visiting Damascus where he welcomed recent moves to reconcile Arab relations with Syria.
He also discussed Russia's war in Ukraine during talks with Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad and top security official Maj Gen Ali Mamlouk in the Syrian capital on Wednesday.
Iran and Russia have supported Mr Al Assad through much of Syria's civil war, which began with peaceful protests in 2011.
The government's violent response to the demonstrations led to the international isolation of Syria, which included its suspension from the Arab League.
Mr Amirabdollahian's visit to Damascus came days after the UAE hosted Mr Al Assad on his first visit to an Arab state since 2011.
“We welcome and we are satisfied with what some Arab countries are doing by normalising relations with Syria,” he said in Damascus.
The Iranian foreign minister said he believed Tehran was close to reaching an agreement over its nuclear programme and put the blame for delays on the United States, which he said should take “a realistic stance”.
Eleven months of talks to revive the 2015 deal appeared to have reached completion this month before Moscow demanded that its trade with Iran be exempted from western sanctions on Russia over Ukraine, throwing the process into disarray. Negotiators have yet to reconvene in the Austrian capital, and it is unclear exactly what hurdles lie ahead.
"If the US acts pragmatically, we are ready to have foreign ministers of countries belonging to the nuclear deal's joint commission gather in Vienna to finalise the agreement," Mr Amirabdollahian said during a press conference in Damascus alongside his Syrian counterpart.
"We believe that today we are closer to an agreement in Vienna than ever before."
The 2015 deal lifted international sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme to prevent Tehran from developing atomic weapons. The agreement collapsed after then president Donald Trump pulled the US out of the pact in 2018 citing Iran's missile development and interference in the region.
Iran has mobilised thousands of fighters from the region, including members of the Tehran-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon, to boost Syrian government forces against opponents.
Mr Amirabdollahian’s trip to Damascus came two weeks after two members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were killed in an Israeli strike near the Syrian capital.
He said strategic relations between Iran and Syria were at their best, and later made a rare comment in Arabic: “We are in the same trench, and we support Syria’s leadership, government and people.”
Like Tehran, Moscow is a strong ally of Syria and joined the war in 2015. Its support helped Mr Al Assad’s forces to regain control of much of the country. Russia has hundreds of troops in Syria and an air base on the Mediterranean coast.
Syrian state news agency Sana said Mr Al Assad had discussed the conflict in Ukraine with Mr Amirabdollahian and they agreed that “international balance should not be subjected to dangerous shocks through which western countries threaten international peace and security”.
Officials from Iran's defence ministry were seen marketing their missiles and air defence systems at an arms exhibition in Qatar on Wednesday, despite the risk to buyers of incurring US sanctions.
The ministry manufactures arms for Iran’s military and the IRGC, which plays a key role in the creation and execution of national security and foreign policy.
Qatar is a major US non-Nato ally and hosts the largest American military base in the Middle East. The country also maintains good relations with Iran, with which it shares the world’s largest gas field.
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
The biog
Favourite books: 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life' by Jane D. Mathews and ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates
Favourite travel destination: Greece, a blend of ancient history and captivating nature. It always has given me a sense of joy, endless possibilities, positive energy and wonderful people that make you feel at home.
Favourite pastime: travelling and experiencing different cultures across the globe.
Favourite quote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders” - Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.
Favourite Movie: Mona Lisa Smile
Favourite Author: Kahlil Gibran
Favourite Artist: Meryl Streep
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
The British in India: Three Centuries of Ambition and Experience
by David Gilmour
Allen Lane
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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Tomb%20Raider%20I%E2%80%93III%20Remastered
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Aspyr%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Aspyr%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20Nintendo%20Switch%2C%20PlayStation%204%26amp%3B5%2C%20PC%20and%20Xbox%20series%20X%2FS%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
Timeline
1947
Ferrari’s road-car company is formed and its first badged car, the 125 S, rolls off the assembly line
1962
250 GTO is unveiled
1969
Fiat becomes a Ferrari shareholder, acquiring 50 per cent of the company
1972
The Fiorano circuit, Ferrari’s racetrack for development and testing, opens
1976
First automatic Ferrari, the 400 Automatic, is made
1987
F40 launched
1988
Enzo Ferrari dies; Fiat expands its stake in the company to 90 per cent
2002
The Enzo model is announced
2010
Ferrari World opens in Abu Dhabi
2011
First four-wheel drive Ferrari, the FF, is unveiled
2013
LaFerrari, the first Ferrari hybrid, arrives
2014
Fiat Chrysler announces the split of Ferrari from the parent company
2015
Ferrari launches on Wall Street
2017
812 Superfast unveiled; Ferrari celebrates its 70th anniversary
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
When is VAR used?
• Goals
• Penalty decisions
• Direct red-card incidents
• Mistaken identity
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
McLaren GT specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Price: Dh875,000
On sale: now
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
Without Remorse
Directed by: Stefano Sollima
Starring: Michael B Jordan
4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales
Najlaa Khoury, Archipelago Books
