Iran is willing to hold indirect talks with the US on its nuclear programme but remains ready to respond to any use of force as threatened by US President Donald Trump, senior officials said at the weekend.
“We have declared our stance, we advocate for diplomacy and negotiations, but indirectly,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said while attending a meeting of the parliament's national security committee to brief them on the issue, state news agency Irna reported.
Mr Trump last month sent a letter to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in which he called for Washington and Tehran to directly negotiate a deal that would ensure Iran does not develop nuclear weapons. Mr Trump reportedly set a two-month deadline for the talks to begin and threatened Iran with the use of force if it rejected the offer.
Mr Araghchi said on Sunday that “direct negotiations would be meaningless with a party that constantly threatens to resort to force in violation of the UN Charter and that expresses contradictory positions from its various officials”.
“We remain committed to diplomacy and are ready to try the path of indirect negotiations,” he added, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.
“Iran keeps itself prepared for all possible or probable events, and, just as it is serious in diplomacy and negotiations, it will also be decisive and serious in defending its national interests and sovereignty,” he said.
An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Monday that indirect negotiations with the US were likely to be hosted by Oman, which has served as an intermediary between the two sides before.
On Saturday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country was willing to engage in dialogue with the US “on equal footing”. He also questioned Washington's sincerity in calling for negotiations, saying “If you want negotiations, then what is the point of threatening?”
In 2015, Iran reached a landmark deal with the permanent members of the UN Security Council, namely the US, France, China, Russia, and the UK, as well as Germany, to regulate its nuclear activities. The agreement gave Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme to guarantee that Tehran could not develop a nuclear weapon.
The US withdrew from the agreement in 2018, during Mr Trump's first term in office, and reinstated sanctions on Iran. Mr Trump resumed his policy of “maximum pressure” on Iran after beginning his second term in January.
Iran responded by stepping up its nuclear enrichment in breach of the 2015 pact, and has now accumulated a stockpile of near weapons-grade material, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Speaking at a gathering of ambassadors on Sunday to celebrate Nowruz, the Iranian new year, Mr Araghchi denounced the US for its unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal.
“Having had that experience, we are now prepared for negotiations on our nuclear programme and the removal of sanctions on the basis of logic of trust-building in exchange for the lifting of the cruel sanctions against Iran,” the Tasnim news agency quoted him as saying.
On Saturday Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said the country was “ready” for war.
“We are not worried about war at all. We will not be the initiators of war, but we are ready for any war,” Irna reported him as saying.
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
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
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
FIXTURES
Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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.
if you go
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
The specs
The specs: 2019 Audi Q8
Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 340hp @ 3,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 2,250rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
