Enrichment facilities at Iran's Natanz site, where operations are central to its nuclear programme. Tehran insists its nuclear power is for civilian applications only. AFP
Enrichment facilities at Iran's Natanz site, where operations are central to its nuclear programme. Tehran insists its nuclear power is for civilian applications only. AFP
Enrichment facilities at Iran's Natanz site, where operations are central to its nuclear programme. Tehran insists its nuclear power is for civilian applications only. AFP
Enrichment facilities at Iran's Natanz site, where operations are central to its nuclear programme. Tehran insists its nuclear power is for civilian applications only. AFP

Timeline: Diplomacy and confrontation over Iran's nuclear programme


Amr Mostafa
  • English
  • Arabic

The US and Iran are preparing for high-level talks in Oman on Saturday. The negotiations are a revival of efforts to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapons programme, which it denies seeking, in exchange for easing of sanctions that have taken a heavy toll on its economy.

A 2015 deal between Tehran and six world powers – the US, Russia, China, France, the UK and Germany – came to nothing after President Donald Trump abandoned the deal in 2018.

2013 - 2019: Deal made, then broken

November 2013: Iran and the six powers announce an interim agreement that temporarily curbs Tehran's nuclear programme and unfreezes some Iranian assets, setting the stage for negotiations on a comprehensive nuclear accord.

April 2015: A framework nuclear deal is announced, outlining long-term restrictions on Iran’s nuclear programme and the removal of many international sanctions.

Officials involved in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, from left, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, EU Minister for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, Tehran's Atomic Energy Organisation chief Ali Akbar Saleh, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, US Secretary of State John Kerry and American Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. Getty Images
Officials involved in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, from left, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, EU Minister for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, Tehran's Atomic Energy Organisation chief Ali Akbar Saleh, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, US Secretary of State John Kerry and American Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. Getty Images

July 14, 2015: World powers and Iran announce a long-term, comprehensive nuclear agreement.

May 2018: Mr Trump, in the second year of his first term, unilaterally withdraws the US from the nuclear agreement, calling it the “worst deal ever”.

August 2018: The Trump administration begins to reimpose sanctions on Iran that were lifted under the nuclear accord, targeting a range of sectors from carpets and pistachios to gold and commercial aircraft. This is part of the "maximum pressure" strategy.

November 2018: The US re-enforces the most onerous sanctions that were lifted under the deal, targeting Iran’s banking and oil sectors.

April 2019: Mr Trump designates Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organisation, the first time the US has blacklisted part of another nation’s military in this way.

May 2019: Iran announces it will begin breaching the accord, setting a 60-day ultimatum for Europe to compensate for American-led sanctions before it begins enriching uranium to higher levels.

June 25, 2019: Mr Trump imposes new sanctions on supreme leader Ali Khamenei and his associates.

July 1, 2019: Iran announces it has exceeded the nuclear deal’s curbs on its low-enriched uranium stockpile.

September 3, 2019: The US sanctions Iran’s civilian space agency, alleging the programme is cover for testing ballistic missile technology.

September 7, 2019: Iran begins spinning advanced gas enrichment centrifuges prohibited under the 2015 deal.

November 6, 2019: Iran injects uranium gas into centrifuges at its underground Fordow plant.

2020: Suspected sabotage and a new US president

Joe Biden was elected US president in November 2020. AP
Joe Biden was elected US president in November 2020. AP

April 22, 2020: The IRGC launches its first satellite into space, revealing what experts describe as a secret military space programme.

July 2020: An explosion at a centrifuge production plant at Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment facility. Iran blames the blast on Israeli sabotage.

October 2020: A decade-long UN arms embargo on Iran that banned it from purchasing foreign weapons expires as scheduled under the nuclear deal, despite American objections.

November 2020: Joe Biden wins the US presidential election.

2021: IAEA oversight weakened

January 4, 2021: Iran begins enriching uranium up to 20 per cent and seizes a South Korean-flagged oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz.

February 23, 2021: The International Atomic Energy Agency loses access to its surveillance cameras, as well as data from its online enrichment monitors and electronic seals amid a standoff with Iran. Tehran pledges to hold on to the tapes and give them back when granted sanctions relief.

April 6, 2021: Iran and the US begin indirect negotiations in Vienna over how to restore the nuclear deal.

April 11, 2021: A second attack on the Natanz nuclear site, with suspicion again falling on Israel.

April 16, 2021: Iran begins enriching uranium up to 60 per cent – its highest purity so far and a technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent.

June 19, 2021: Ebrahim Raisi, a hardline protege of Mr Khamenei, is elected Iran's president.

December 1, 2021: The IAEA says Iran has begun feeding 166 advanced IR-6 enrichment centrifuges at Fordow.

December 15, 2021: The IAEA and Iran reach a deal to reinstall cameras damaged at the Karaj nuclear facility, although inspectors' access to video is restricted.

2022: Opportunities lost

March 12, 2022: Nuclear talks in Vienna break off without an agreement as Russia demands guarantees that its ties with Tehran be exempted from western sanctions over its war in Ukraine.

May 11, 2022: The European Union sends its envoy for the nuclear talks to Tehran, as negotiations hit a deadlock over Iran’s demand that Washington lift its terrorism designation of the IRGC.

June 8, 2022: IAEA board of governors censures Iran for failing to provide answers on man-made traces of uranium found at three undeclared sites. Iran disconnects two IAEA surveillance cameras.

June 9, 2022: Iran begins disconnecting 27 IAEA surveillance cameras at the country’s nuclear sites, as it prepares to install more IR-6 centrifuges at Natanz.

June 28, 2022: Iran and the US begin a series of indirect talks in Qatar over the nuclear deal.

August 4, 2022: Negotiators from Iran, the US and the EU hold indirect talks on a tentative deal, but it falls apart. France, Germany and Britain later say Iran “has chosen not to seize this critical diplomatic opportunity”.

November 17, 2022: The IAEA censures Iran for failing to co-operate with its safeguards investigation.

2023: Iran's proxies spark rise in regional tensions

February 23, 2023: Iran directly acknowledges an accusation attributed to international inspectors that it enriched particles of uranium to 84 per cent purity for the first time. The issue ultimately is settled, but puts new pressure on negotiators.

October 7, 2023: Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip storm into Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 others hostage. This begins the most-intense war yet between Israel and Hamas. Iran, which has armed Hamas, offers support to the militants. Regional tensions spike.

2024 - 2025: Return of Trump

Donald Trump was re-elected as US president in November 2024. AP
Donald Trump was re-elected as US president in November 2024. AP

June 5, 2024: The IAEA board of governors censures Iran for failing to co-operate fully with the agency.

June 14, 2024: The IAEA says Iran has started up new cascades of advanced centrifuges and plans to install others after facing criticism over its nuclear programme.

November 2024: Mr Trump wins the US presidential election.

April 7, 2025: Mr Trump makes a surprise announcement that the US and Iran will begin talks on Tehran's nuclear programme.

April 9, 2025: Iran welcomes US investors and offers nuclear assurances in major shift of tone.

European arms

Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons.  Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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T20 World Cup Qualifier A, Muscat

Friday, February 18: 10am - Oman v Nepal, Canada v Philippines; 2pm - Ireland v UAE, Germany v Bahrain

Saturday, February 19: 10am - Oman v Canada, Nepal v Philippines; 2pm - UAE v Germany, Ireland v Bahrain

Monday, February 21: 10am - Ireland v Germany, UAE v Bahrain; 2pm - Nepal v Canada, Oman v Philippines

Tuesday, February 22: 2pm – semi-finals

Thursday, February 24: 2pm – final

UAE squad: Ahmed Raza (captain), Muhammad Waseem, Chirag Suri, Vriitya Aravind, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Raja Akifullah, Karthik Meiyappan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Zafar Farid, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Rahul Bhatia

All matches to be streamed live on icc.tv

UAE squad

Humaira Tasneem (c), Chamani Senevirathne (vc), Subha Srinivasan, NIsha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Esha Oza, Ishani Senevirathne, Heena Hotchandani, Keveesha Kumari, Judith Cleetus, Chavi Bhatt, Namita D’Souza.

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BEST FILM

  • 1917 - Pippa Harris, Callum McDougall, Sam Mendes, Jayne-Ann Tenggren
  • THE IRISHMAN - Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, Martin Scorsese, Emma Tillinger Koskoff
  • JOKER - Bradley Cooper, Todd Phillips, Emma Tillinger Koskoff
  • ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD - David Heyman, Shannon McIntosh, Quentin Tarantino
  • PARASITE - Bong Joon-ho, Kwak Sin-ae

DIRECTOR

  • 1917 - Sam Mendes
  • THE IRISHMAN - Martin Scorsese
  • JOKER - Todd Phillips
  • ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD - Quentin Tarantino
  • PARASITE - Bong Joon-ho

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM

  • 1917 - Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris, Callum McDougall, Jayne-Ann Tenggren, Krysty Wilson-Cairns
  • BAIT - Mark Jenkin, Kate Byers, Linn Waite
  • FOR SAMA - Waad al-Kateab, Edward Watts
  • ROCKETMAN - Dexter Fletcher, Adam Bohling, David Furnish, David Reid, Matthew Vaughn, Lee Hall
  • SORRY WE MISSED YOU  - Ken Loach, Rebecca O’Brien, Paul Laverty
  • THE TWO POPES - Fernando Meirelles, Jonathan Eirich, Dan Lin, Tracey Seaward, Anthony McCarten

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

  • THE FAREWELL - Lulu Wang, Daniele Melia
  • FOR SAMA - Waad al-Kateab, Edward Watts
  • PAIN AND GLORY - Pedro Almodóvar, Agustín Almodóvar
  • PARASITE - Bong Joon-ho
  • PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE - Céline Sciamma, Bénédicte Couvreur

LEADING ACTRESS

  • JESSIE BUCKLEY - Wild Rose
  • SCARLETT JOHANSSON - Marriage Story
  • SAOIRSE RONAN - Little Women
  • CHARLIZE THERON - Bombshell
  • RENÉE ZELLWEGER - Judy

LEADING ACTOR

  • LEONARDO DICAPRIO - Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood
  • ADAM DRIVER - Marriage Story
  • TARON EGERTON - Rocketman
  • JOAQUIN PHOENIX - Joker
  • JONATHAN PRYCE - The Two Popes

SUPPORTING ACTOR

  • TOM HANKS - A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
  • ANTHONY HOPKINS - The Two Popes
  • AL PACINO - The Irishman
  • JOE PESCI - The Irishman
  • BRAD PITT - Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

  • LAURA DERN - Marriage Story
  • SCARLETT JOHANSSON - Jojo Rabbit
  • FLORENCE PUGH - Little Women
  • MARGOT ROBBIE - Bombshell
  • MARGOT ROBBIE - Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

  • THE IRISHMAN - Steven Zaillian
  • JOJO RABBIT - Taika Waititi
  • JOKER - Todd Phillips, Scott Silver
  • LITTLE WOMEN - Greta Gerwig
  • THE TWO POPES - Anthony McCarten

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

  • BOOKSMART - Susanna Fogel, Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Katie Silberman
  • KNIVES OUT - Rian Johnson
  • MARRIAGE STORY - Noah Baumbach
  • ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD - Quentin Tarantino
  • PARASITE - Han Jin Won, Bong Joon ho

DOCUMENTARY

  • AMERICAN FACTORY - Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert
  • APOLLO 11 - Todd Douglas Miller
  • DIEGO MARADONA - Asif Kapadia
  • FOR SAMA - Waad al-Kateab, Edward Watts
  • THE GREAT HACK - Karim Amer, Jehane Noujaime

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER

  • BAIT - Mark Jenkin (Writer/Director), Kate Byers, Linn Waite (Producers)
  • FOR SAMA - Waad al-Kateab (Director/Producer), Edward Watts (Director)
  • MAIDEN - Alex Holmes (Director)
  • ONLY YOU - Harry Wootliff (Writer/Director)
  • RETABLO - Álvaro Delgado-Aparicio (Writer/Director)

ANIMATED FILM

  • FROZEN 2 - Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, Peter Del Vecho
  • KLAUS - Sergio Pablos, Jinko Gotoh
  • A SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE: FARMAGEDDON - Will Becher, Richard Phelan, Paul Kewley
  • TOY STORY 4 - Josh Cooley, Mark Nielsen

CASTING

  • JOKER - Shayna Markowitz
  • MARRIAGE STORY - Douglas Aibel, Francine Maisler
  • ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD - Victoria Thomas
  • THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD - Sarah Crowe
  • THE TWO POPES - Nina Gold

EE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)

  • AWKWAFINA
  • JACK LOWDEN
  • KAITLYN DEVER
  • KELVIN HARRISON JR.
  • MICHEAL WARD

CINEMATOGRAPHY

  • 1917 - Roger Deakins
  • THE IRISHMAN - Rodrigo Prieto
  • JOKER - Lawrence Sher
  • LE MANS ’66 - Phedon Papamichael
  • THE LIGHTHOUSE - Jarin Blaschke

EDITING

  • THE IRISHMAN - Thelma Schoonmaker
  • JOJO RABBIT - Tom Eagles
  • JOKER - Jeff Groth
  • LE MANS ’66 - Andrew Buckland, Michael McCusker
  • ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD - Fred Raskin

COSTUME DESIGN

  • THE IRISHMAN - Christopher Peterson, Sandy Powell
  • JOJO RABBIT - Mayes C. Rubeo
  • JUDY - Jany Temime
  • LITTLE WOMEN - Jacqueline Durran
  • ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD - Arianne Phillips

PRODUCTION DESIGN

  • 1917 - Dennis Gassner, Lee Sandales
  • THE IRISHMAN - Bob Shaw, Regina Graves
  • JOJO RABBIT - Ra Vincent, Nora Sopková
  • JOKER - Mark Friedberg, Kris Moran
  • ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD - Barbara Ling, Nancy Haigh

SOUND

  • 1917 - Scott Millan, Oliver Tarney, Rachael Tate, Mark Taylor, Stuart Wilson
  • JOKER - Tod Maitland, Alan Robert Murray, Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic
  • LE MANS ’66 - David Giammarco, Paul Massey, Steven A. Morrow, Donald Sylvester
  • ROCKETMAN - Matthew Collinge, John Hayes, Mike Prestwood Smith, Danny Sheehan
  • STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER - David Acord, Andy Nelson, Christopher Scarabosio, Stuart Wilson, Matthew Wood

ORIGINAL SCORE

  • 1917 - Thomas Newman
  • JOJO RABBIT - Michael Giacchino
  • JOKER - Hildur Guđnadóttir
  • LITTLE WOMEN - Alexandre Desplat
  • STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER - John Williams

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS

  • 1917 - Greg Butler, Guillaume Rocheron, Dominic Tuohy
  • AVENGERS: ENDGAME - Dan Deleeuw, Dan Sudick
  • THE IRISHMAN - Leandro Estebecorena, Stephane Grabli, Pablo Helman
  • THE LION KING - Andrew R. Jones, Robert Legato, Elliot Newman, Adam Valdez
  • STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER - Roger Guyett, Paul Kavanagh, Neal Scanlan, Dominic Tuohy

MAKE UP & HAIR

  • 1917 - Naomi Donne
  • BOMBSHELL - Vivian Baker, Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan
  • JOKER - Kay Georgiou, Nicki Ledermann
  • JUDY - Jeremy Woodhead
  • ROCKETMAN - Lizzie Yianni Georgiou

BRITISH SHORT FILM

  • AZAAR - Myriam Raja, Nathanael Baring
  • GOLDFISH - Hector Dockrill, Harri Kamalanathan, Benedict Turnbull, Laura Dockrill
  • KAMALI - Sasha Rainbow, Rosalind Croad
  • LEARNING TO SKATEBOARD IN A WARZONE (IF YOU’RE A GIRL) - Carol Dysinger, Elena Andreicheva
  • THE TRAP - Lena Headey, Anthony Fitzgerald

BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION

  • GRANDAD WAS A ROMANTIC - Maryam Mohajer
  • IN HER BOOTS - Kathrin Steinbacher
  • THE MAGIC BOAT  - Naaman Azh
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UK's plans to cut net migration

Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.

Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.

But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.

Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.

Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.

The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Buckingham Murders

Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu

Director: Hansal Mehta

Rating: 4 / 5

Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5

How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
What are the regulations?
  • Fly it within visual line of sight
  • Never over populated areas
  • Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
  • Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
  • Should have a live feed of the drone flight
  • Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Updated: April 12, 2025, 8:52 AM`