Talks to de-escalate Iran’s nuclear programme resumed in Geneva on Friday with western officials telling The National that the regime appeared “eager” to engage in discussions.
With Tehran still reeling from its proxy Hezbollah’s weakened status following the war in Lebanon, and from Israel’s air strikes last month, it appears that the new government under President Masoud Pezeshkian is keen to negotiate.
That will become even more urgent when US president-elect Donald Trump returns to office in January with Israeli security sources disclosing to The National that the country believes he will “sign off” an attack on Iran’s nuclear sites.
The prospect of a strike was part of “planning for a variety of scenarios,” a western official also said, adding that “Iran is feeling the pressure that ultimately a Trump presidency would potentially be very, very bad for them”.
The head of MI6, Britain's foreign intelligence service, also stated on Friday that Iran's nuclear ambitions posed a major global security threat.
“Iran's allied militias across the Middle East have suffered serious blows,” Richard Moore said in a speech in Paris. “But the regime's nuclear ambitions continue to threaten all of us.”
While Iran widely publicised the meeting of its senior nuclear negotiator, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, with top diplomats from Britain, Germany and France, known as the E3, the western countries were surprised by the amplification of the conference.
“It’s the Iranians who have brought this to everybody's attention,” the western official said. “This is not necessarily something we were proactively briefing about and it’s the Iranians who frankly made it something more than it is.”
It is understood that Mr Pezeshkian’s new team is looking to reset its communications strategy with the West, although it is unclear how much support he will have from the dominant Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to draw down the nuclear programme.
Following the meeting a senior Iranian diplomat disclosed that more dialogue would occur “in the near future” adding that the discussions had been “candid”.
That concurred with the western official who disclosed that E3 officials would state Iran’s nuclear programme was “unacceptable and destabilising” and that the discussion would be “an opportunity for us to criticise them over their support for Russia's war in Ukraine”.
“We are very clear that what Iran is doing in support of Russia is a threat to European security,” he added.
But Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, who was also involved in the talks, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that the country was “firmly committed to pursue the interests of our people and our preference is the path of dialogue and engagement”.
However, Mr Gharibabadi, following a meeting with EU diplomats in Geneva on Thursday, also argued that “Europe has failed to be a serious player” on the nuclear issue, after Mr Trump broke off the nuclear agreement in 2018 and unilaterally reimposed sanctions on Tehran.
He also urged the EU to “abandon its self-centred and irresponsible behaviour” on a range of issues including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
A Whitehall source stated that Friday’s meeting demonstrated that the E3 countries felt “we need to be able to continue to engage with Iran because when you sit down across the table they feel the pressure”.
But also by engaging with Iran they could draw them away from the broadly held view that the country was seen as a "malign influence" in the Middle East, he added.
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
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
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Australia
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
Company%20profile
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RESULTS
5pm: Watha Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
Winner: Dalil De Carrere, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Mohamed Daggash (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 70,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Miracle Maker, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Pharitz Al Denari, Bernardo Pinheiro, Mahmood Hussain
6.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Oss, Jesus Rosales, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: ES Nahawand, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: AF Almajhaz, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi
8pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: AF Lewaa, Bernardo Pinheiro, Qaiss Aboud.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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Sunday's games
Liverpool v West Ham United, 4.30pm (UAE)
Southampton v Burnley, 4.30pm
Arsenal v Manchester City, 7pm
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The 100 Best Novels in Translation
Boyd Tonkin, Galileo Press
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
The five pillars of Islam
'Moonshot'
Director: Chris Winterbauer
Stars: Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse
Rating: 3/5
Fixtures
Wednesday
4.15pm: Japan v Spain (Group A)
5.30pm: UAE v Italy (Group A)
6.45pm: Russia v Mexico (Group B)
8pm: Iran v Egypt (Group B)
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
CREW
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