Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said Tehran has replied to US President Donald Trump's letter, paving the way for talks on its nuclear programme and Middle East policies.
Both sides have been laying the groundwork for the long-anticipated talks over recent weeks, at a time when Iran’s regional influence has waned. The potential negotiations carry particular weight for the region at a time of conflict and heightened tension.
Mr Trump has said he wants to negotiate with Iran rather than resort to military means, as he seeks to limit Tehran's nuclear programme. After relaunching his “maximum pressure” campaign, the US President sent a letter to Iran's leadership, urging Tehran to negotiate a new nuclear deal. The letter was delivered this month by Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE President, during a visit to Tehran.
Mr Araghchi stated that the response to Mr Trump's letter has been sent through Oman, a frequent diplomatic go-between. He told local media that Iran is seeking to resume indirect negotiations.
“Indirect negotiations … can continue, as they existed in the past,” he said, adding that Iran's response was made with “a responsible view and in adherence to diplomatic custom”.
In 2015, the US and other world powers signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action agreement with Iran that put limits on Tehran's nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief. The US has accused Iran of trying to develop a nuclear weapon, but Tehran has always maintained that its programme is for peaceful purposes. Mr Trump withdrew the US from the deal in 2018, during his first term, citing security concerns.
While Iran denies seeking to develop a nuclear weapon, it is “dramatically” accelerating enrichment of uranium to 60 per cent purity – a short step from the 90 per cent-purity needed for nuclear weapons, the International Atomic Energy Agency has warned.
Last week, Mr Araghchi said he believed it was no longer possible to revive the 2015 nuclear deal and that attempting to do so would not serve Iran's interests.
Mr Araghchi, who was among Iran's negotiators who agreed on the JCPOA, said the agreement could not be revived in the same format because of advances in Tehran's nuclear development and increased US sanctions. However, he suggested the deal could serve as a base for a potential agreement in the future.
In recent weeks, the US has continued to pile sanctions on Iran, with Mr Trump's originally stated goal being to drive the country's oil exports to near zero. The Iranian rial fell below 1 million to the US dollar this week. The currency has more than halved in value since President Masoud Pezeshkian took office last year.
News of the talks comes at a time when Iran has faced setbacks in the Middle East, with a series of blows to its key allies. Hamas is still being targeted by Israel in the war in Gaza, Lebanon's Hezbollah has been significantly weakened in its war with Israel, former Syrian president Bashar Al Assad was overthrown in December, while in Yemen, Houthi rebels have faced renewed US air strikes.
Mr Araghchi acknowledged that Iran is experiencing its most challenging period since the eight-year war with Iraq in the 1980s but vowed that the country would make a strong comeback, armed with “invaluable experience” from recent events.
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
The winners
Fiction
- ‘Amreekiya’ by Lena Mahmoud
- ‘As Good As True’ by Cheryl Reid
The Evelyn Shakir Non-Fiction Award
- ‘Syrian and Lebanese Patricios in Sao Paulo’ by Oswaldo Truzzi; translated by Ramon J Stern
- ‘The Sound of Listening’ by Philip Metres
The George Ellenbogen Poetry Award
- ‘Footnotes in the Order of Disappearance’ by Fady Joudah
Children/Young Adult
- ‘I’ve Loved You Since Forever’ by Hoda Kotb
Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Results
2pm: Handicap Dh 90,000 1,800m; Winner: Majestic Thunder, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
2.30pm: Handicap Dh120,000 1,950m; Winner: Just A Penny, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
3pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m; Winner: Native Appeal, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
3.30pm: Jebel Ali Classic Conditions Dh300,000 1,400m; Winner: Thegreatcollection, Adrie de Vries, Doug Watson.
4pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m; Winner: Oktalgano, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.30pm: Conditions Dh250,000 1,400m; Winner: Madame Ellingtina, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
5pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m; Winner: Mystery Land, Fabrice Veron, Helal Al Alawi.
5.30pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,000m; Winner: Shanaghai City, Jesus Rosales, Rashed Bouresly.
AUSTRALIA%20SQUAD
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Ibrahim's play list
Completed an electrical diploma at the Adnoc Technical Institute
Works as a public relations officer with Adnoc
Apart from the piano, he plays the accordion, oud and guitar
His favourite composer is Johann Sebastian Bach
Also enjoys listening to Mozart
Likes all genres of music including Arabic music and jazz
Enjoys rock groups Scorpions and Metallica
Other musicians he likes are Syrian-American pianist Malek Jandali and Lebanese oud player Rabih Abou Khalil
A%20MAN%20FROM%20MOTIHARI
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TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2014%20PLUS
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You Were Never Really Here
Director: Lynne Ramsay
Starring: Joaquim Phoenix, Ekaterina Samsonov
Four stars
What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
- Saturday 15 January: UAE beat Canada by 49 runs
- Thursday 20 January: v England
- Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad:
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles
Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly,
Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya
Shetty, Kai Smith
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
RESULTS
1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,400m
Winner: Dirilis Ertugrul, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Ismail Mohammed (trainer)
2.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,400m
Winner: Kidd Malibu, Sandro Paiva, Musabah Al Muhairi
2.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,000m
Winner: Raakezz, Tadhg O’Shea, Nicholas Bachalard
3.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,200m
Winner: Au Couer, Sean Kirrane, Satish Seemar
3.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m
Winner: Rayig, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m
Winner: Chiefdom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,800m
Winner: King’s Shadow, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
