Iran and the US held “constructive” high-level talks, including a brief face-to-face discussion, in Oman's capital Muscat on Saturday afternoon and are set to continue next week, according to Iran's Foreign Ministry and the White House.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff spoke briefly in the presence of Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al Busaidi, Tehran said, although it had earlier said that talks would be indirect.
The talks were the first face-to-face interaction between the two nations since former US president Barack Obama was in power. The adversaries, who have not had diplomatic relations for more than 40 years, are seeking a new deal on Iran's nuclear programme after current US President Donald Trump pulled out of an agreement during his first term.
Mr Araghchi, an experienced negotiator and an architect of the 2015 accord, and Mr Witkoff, a real estate magnate, led the delegations in the highest-level Iran-US nuclear talks since Mr Trump collapsed the deal in 2018.
“Indirect talks between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America on the issue of lifting sanctions and the nuclear issue ended,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday, following two-and-a-half hours of discussions mediated by Oman.
Iran and the US held discussions “in a constructive atmosphere based on mutual respect, through the Foreign Minister of Oman”, the ministry's statement on Telegram added. “The parties agreed that these talks will continue next week.”
Mr Araghchi later told state television that the next round of talks will be held next Saturday. “I think we are very close to a basis for negotiations and if we can conclude this basis next week, we’ll have gone a long way and will be able to start real discussions based on that,” he said.
“The discussions were very positive and constructive, and the United States deeply thanks the Sultanate of Oman for its support of this initiative,” the White House said in a statement.
Mr Witkoff had conveyed to his counterpart that Mr Trump had instructed him to resolve the differences between Tehran and Washington “through dialogue and diplomacy, if that is possible”, the statement added.
“These issues are very complicated, and special envoy Witkoff’s direct communication today was a step forward in achieving a mutually beneficial outcome,” it added, and confirmed that they agreed to meet again in a week.
Mr Araghchi thanked Mr Al Busaidi for his mediation, saying he went back and forth between the two halls about four times during the discussions. “Iran and the US side want an agreement in the short term. We do not want talks for [the sake of] talks,” the Iranian Foreign Minister added.
Esmail Baghaei, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, had earlier announced in a post on X the start of “indirect talks”.
“These talks will be held at the location provided by the Omani host, with representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States seated in separate halls,” he said.
On April 8, Mr Trump, sitting alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the White House, said Washington would hold “direct” talks with Iran on its nuclear programme.
Iran had disputed this claim and maintained that negotiations would be done through a mediator.
Nearly two hours after they began, a member of Iran's delegation told semi-official Tasnim news agency that the talks with the US were going “positively”.
Earlier on Saturday, Mr Araghchi had met Mr Al Busaidi and conveyed messages to be relayed to the US, according to Irna.
The goal of negotiations in Oman was to reach “fair and honourable agreement” from a position of “equal standing”, said Mr Araghchi, according to a video posted by Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
“If the other side also comes from the same position, then hopefully there will be a chance for an initial understanding that will lead to a path of negotiations,” he added.
Mr Baghaei said Tehran aimed to use “all its capacities to protect Iran's authority and national interests” before his departure to Oman, according to Irna.
The Iranian delegation also included Deputy Political Affairs Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Deputy International and Legal Affairs Minister Kazem Gharibabadi and negotiators on sanctions relief, Iranian state media reported.
The meeting was closed to the media.
Iran had maintained that the negotiations would involve its nuclear programme and sanctions relief, while the US's position is dismantling it altogether.
“I think our position begins with dismantlement of [Iran's] programme. That is our position today,” Mr Witkoff told The Wall Street Journal before his trip. “That doesn’t mean, by the way, that at the margin we’re not going to find other ways to find compromise between the two countries.”
Mr Trump gave Iran a two-month deadline to either agree to a new deal or risk military action, after Tehran had rejected direct talks with the US.
“If they don't make a deal, there will be bombing,” the US President said in an interview last month. “It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before,” he told NBC News.
US and Iran begin negotiations in Oman: What's at stake?
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The specs: 2018 Mazda CX-5
Price, base / as tested: Dh89,000 / Dh130,000
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 188hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 251Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.1L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces
- Area carpets or rugs are the easiest way to segregate spaces while also unifying them.
- Lighting can help define areas. Try pendant lighting over dining tables, and side and floor lamps in living areas.
- Keep the colour palette the same in a room, but combine different tones and textures in different zone. A common accent colour dotted throughout the space brings it together.
- Don’t be afraid to use furniture to break up the space. For example, if you have a sofa placed in the middle of the room, a console unit behind it will give good punctuation.
- Use a considered collection of prints and artworks that work together to form a cohesive journey.
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Five%20calorie-packed%20Ramadan%20drinks
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THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
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The years Ramadan fell in May
