Iran’s mission to the UN said on Friday that Israel poses a “grave and immediate threat” to regional and global peace, calling for urgent measures to prevent what it described as a potential “catastrophic” escalation during the US presidential transition.
“As the current rulers of the regime perceive their survival in the expansion of war and directly dragging the United States into it, they are attempting to exploit the current political climate in the United States to pave the way for the formulation of a new crisis,” the mission said in a statement shared on X.
It added that this would have “unprecedented political and strategic costs” for Washington.
Calling Israel an “illegitimate and usurping entity”, Iran claimed the nation is facing “widespread hatred” within the region and the broader international community.
It also suggested that removing or restraining Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could pave the way for de-escalation, including a ceasefire in Gaza as well as continued UN peacekeeping operations and the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 in Lebanon, and restored maritime security in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Tension has been high between Israel and Iran over the course of the Gaza war, with the situation occasionally deteriorating into direct attacks. Israel struck several sites in Iran in later October, weeks after Tehran launched a barrage of 200 ballistic missiles at its archrival.
The statement follows an op-ed published in The Wall Street Journal by Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon this week, in which he argued that Tehran could “try to sow chaos before [US president-elect Donald] Trump takes office”.
He urged the international community to enact a series of measures against Iran, including strict enforcement of current sanctions, reinstatement of UN sanctions in place before the 2015 nuclear deal, and the seizure of commercial vessels involved in the illicit transport of sanctioned Iranian oil.
The tense exchange comes as Mr Trump prepares to take the White House in January. Elon Musk, the tech billionaire closely allied with Mr Trump, met Iran's ambassador to the UN on Monday in a bid to defuse tension between Tehran and Washington, The New York Times reported on Thursday.
Iran's ambassador reportedly urged Mr Musk to seek US sanctions exemptions and conduct business in Tehran, the newspaper said, citing an Iranian Foreign Ministry official. The two met for more than an hour at a secret location, the newspaper said.
During his first term as president, Mr Trump dismantled the nuclear deal brokered by his predecessor Barack Obama and Iran, opting instead for a “maximum pressure” sanctions strategy.
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4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
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If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes. Portland is a 260 km drive from Seattle and Emirates offers codeshare flights to Portland with its partner Alaska Airlines.
The car
Hertz (www.hertz.ae) offers compact car rental from about $300 per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.
Parks and accommodation
For information on Crater Lake National Park, visit www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm . Because of the altitude, large parts of the park are closed in winter due to snow. While the park’s summer season is May 22-October 31, typically, the full loop of the Rim Drive is only possible from late July until the end of October. Entry costs $25 per car for a day. For accommodation, see www.travelcraterlake.com. For information on Umpqua Hot Springs, see www.fs.usda.gov and https://soakoregon.com/umpqua-hot-springs/. For Bend, see https://www.visitbend.com/.
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What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Manchester United v Barcelona, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
In 2018, the ICRC received 27,756 trace requests in the Middle East alone. The global total was 45,507.
There are 139,018 global trace requests that have not been resolved yet, 55,672 of these are in the Middle East region.
More than 540,000 individuals approached the ICRC in the Middle East asking to be reunited with missing loved ones in 2018.
The total figure for the entire world was 654,000 in 2018.
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 2
Rashford 28', Martial 72'
Watford 1
Doucoure 90'
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Kalra's feat
- Becomes fifth batsman to score century in U19 final
- Becomes second Indian to score century in U19 final after Unmukt Chand in 2012
- Scored 122 in youth Test on tour of England
- Bought by Delhi Daredevils for base price of two million Indian rupees (Dh115,000) in 2018 IPL auction
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