Abbas Araghchi, centre, was a chief negotiator for Iran in nuclear talks with western powers between 2013 and 2021. EPA
Abbas Araghchi, centre, was a chief negotiator for Iran in nuclear talks with western powers between 2013 and 2021. EPA
Abbas Araghchi, centre, was a chief negotiator for Iran in nuclear talks with western powers between 2013 and 2021. EPA
Abbas Araghchi, centre, was a chief negotiator for Iran in nuclear talks with western powers between 2013 and 2021. EPA

Abbas Araghchi, former nuclear negotiator, is nominated as Iranian foreign minister


Holly Johnston
  • English
  • Arabic

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has nominated former nuclear negotiator Abbas Araghchi as foreign minister, state media announced on Sunday.

Parliamentary commissions will meet on Monday to discuss the cabinet nominations, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said.

Candidates will have to be approved by Parliament before taking office, in hearings scheduled for the end of August.

Mr Araghchi was a chief negotiator for Iran in nuclear talks with western powers between 2013 and 2021.

He also served as the ministry's spokesman, political deputy and ambassador to Finland and Japan. He was also the first head of Iran's mission to the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation.

If approved, he would take over from Ali Bagheri Kani, who served as interim Foreign Minister after predecessor Hossein Amirabdollahian was killed in a helicopter crash alongside former president Ebrahim Raisi in May.

Their deaths triggered a June election won by Mr Pezeshkian, a reformist candidate who has since appointed Mohammad Javad Zarif – former foreign minister and also a leading nuclear negotiator – as his Vice President for strategic affairs.

Mr Pezeshkian also proposed former air force chief Gen Aziz Nasirzadeh as defence minister and Eskandar Momeni, a relatively moderate police general, as interior minister, according to a list of nominees published by state news agency Irna.

Farzaneh Sadegh, a director in the Ministry of Roads and Housing, would become only the second woman minister since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution if parliament approves Mr Pezeshkian's proposal to put her in charge.

Mohsen Paknejad, a former official in the National Iranian Oil Company, was named as Oil Minister.

Mr Pezeshkian proposed to retain Intelligence Minister Ismail Khatib and Justice Minister Amin Hossein Rahimi, while moving Industries Minister Abbas Aliabadi to head the Energy Ministry.

On Saturday, he reappointed Mohammad Eslami as chief of Iran’s civilian nuclear programme and one of several Vice Presidents.

Mr Pezeshkian was inaugurated two weeks ago in a ceremony overshadowed by the suspected Israeli assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh at an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps guesthouse hours later.

Iran has vowed a direct attack against Israel in return, prompting a flurry of diplomatic efforts to prevent the war from further regional spillover.

Israel has not taken responsibility for the strike which killed Mr Haniyeh.

Mr Pezeshkian has signalled an interest in better relations with the West – a departure from Mr Raisi, an ultraconservative who was a strong proponent of advancing Iran's nuclear ambitions and preferred to enhance relations with regional allies and partners in Africa and Latin America.

However, the president does not hold the ultimate authority in Iran – reserved for Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who continues to speak out against the West, namely the US, over the war in Gaza.

With reporting from agencies

War and the virus
The rules of the road keeping cyclists safe

Cyclists must wear a helmet, arm and knee pads

Have a white front-light and a back red-light on their bike

They must place a number plate with reflective light to the back of the bike to alert road-users

Avoid carrying weights that could cause the bike to lose balance

They must cycle on designated lanes and areas and ride safe on pavements to avoid bumping into pedestrians

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

Key facilities
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Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
  • Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
  • Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
  • For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
  • Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
  • Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
  • Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
  • Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
  • Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
  • Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.

Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

Updated: August 11, 2024, 6:05 PM`