US President Donald Trump has only himself to blame for the consequences of his rush to declare military victory over Iran, and his hasty announcement of a ceasefire between Iran and Israel before verifying and conclusively assessing the results of Washington’s military operations against Tehran’s nuclear programme.
It appears that Mr Trump has backed himself into a corner and took on the burden of proof, whereas that burden should have remained on Iran to demonstrate the fate of its nuclear programme.
The Islamic Republic has moved to suspend co-operation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the only body capable of assessing the extent of the damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities, the state of its centrifuges, and the possible location of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
In this way, Tehran has turned the tables, and Mr Trump has found himself caught in a spiral of justification, battling the media and the Democrats, while supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei re-emerged to deliver a triumphant speech, exuding defiance and confidence, and dismissing the US President’s actions as a failure.
Part of the problem for Mr Trump is that he personalises politics and reduces strategic issues to political tactics. He refuses to concede his mistakes and instead elevates himself above acknowledging them, even when they come at a high cost.
Some might say Mr Trump did well to declare a ceasefire after damaging Iran’s nuclear facilities. Others could argue that he spared the region a prolonged and potentially escalating war.
All this could be true if both sides, Iranian and Israeli, had signed a formal truce and a roadmap to end the conflict, not just a temporary de-escalation. But there is an inherent flaw in the Trump administration’s approach of patchwork fixes and interim arrangements across a number of files. There is a tendency to claim achievements before they are actually secured.
The US President’s envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, appears to be a sharp and adept dealmaker, and perhaps genuinely averse to war. But he doesn’t appear to understand the history of the conflicts he is trying to end, nor does he have the heft that his negotiating counterparts possess. With regard to Iran, he seemingly hasn’t grasped the extent to which its rulers are entrenched in their nuclear, ballistic and expansionist doctrines – or, for that matter, their patience and their ability to prevaricate.
To be clear, this isn’t just about the war but also about the US-Iran talks that preceded Israel’s strikes. This also reveals the extent to which Mr Witkoff has misjudged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ruthless political tactics.
Behind closed doors and in public, Tehran’s rulers are adamant that they will not abandon the nuclear programme, no matter the incentives Mr Witkoff offers, whether it is sanctions relief or the offer to join an international nuclear consortium. Nonetheless, the Trump administration continues to talk up a grand bargain with it.
Meanwhile, Tehran insists on excluding from negotiations the issues of Iran’s ballistic missiles programme and its use of armed proxies across the region. The Trump team, therefore, risks falling into the same trap that was laid for the administration of former US president Barack Obama in the run-up to the 2015 nuclear deal.
The Trump-Witkoff duo speaks of returning to negotiations with the Islamic Republic, while Mr Khamenei has made it clear that the US President must first express regret for having used the demeaning term “surrender” in reference to the Iranian state. He also warned Mr Trump against contemplating another military adventure.
Indeed, Iran’s supreme leader has scored a major win by securing American guarantees that his establishment wouldn’t be touched. This was embedded in Iran’s carefully staged retaliatory strikes on a US base in Qatar in a way that ensured no American personnel was harmed.
Arguably, Iran could be in a better negotiating position than before, despite the considerable damage to its nuclear facilities.
It seems to have smuggled out highly enriched uranium to unknown locations within the country, and moved to suspend co-operation with the IAEA, freeing itself from external oversight. IAEA director general Rafael Grossi, meanwhile, has said Tehran is just months away from nuclear enrichment necessary for a bomb.
Moreover, it’s worth asking whether Mr Trump would venture to strike Iran again in the future. First, this would amount to an admission on Mr Trump’s part that his strikes this month failed to achieve their objective. Second, the US President might well worry about a domestic political backlash.
With that being said, a resumption of the Israeli-Iranian military confrontation is on the cards once Mr Trump calms down. Indeed, Mr Netanyahu now finds himself at the mercy of the US President’s wrath and is likely to calculate each move with great caution. However, neither Israel nor Iran is likely to back down from their respective objectives.
Thus, the ceasefire is fragile, and with the outcome of the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities still contested, a renewed confrontation is likely. After all. a clash suits the ruling class in both Israel and Iran.
Mr Trump now faces a deeper problem. Both Iran and Israel feel the US President has betrayed them. Israel in particular is under pressure from Mr Trump, yet it will feel the need to take additional steps regarding Iran’s nuclear programme, missiles and regional proxies.
All this means Mr Witkoff’s talk of a “comprehensive” agreement with Iran belongs to the realm of wishful thinking, and contradicts the mood music coming out of Tehran. Iran is willing to talk in order to stall, not to make concessions for the sake of a grand bargain.
A close reading of Iran’s statements, including those from Mr Khamenei, reveals that its overriding priority remains the preservation of its rule, anchored in its nuclear, ballistic and expansionist doctrines. Everything else is just rhetoric.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE v Ireland
1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets
2nd ODI, January 12
3rd ODI, January 14
4th ODI, January 16
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
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH DETAILS
Manchester United 3
Greenwood (21), Martial (33), Rashford (49)
Partizan Belgrade 0
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
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The 12 breakaway clubs
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The five pillars of Islam
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
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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
Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance: the specs
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 plus rear-mounted electric motor
Power: 843hp at N/A rpm
Torque: 1470Nm N/A rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.6L/100km
On sale: October to December
Price: From Dh875,000 (estimate)
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
The Little Things
Directed by: John Lee Hancock
Starring: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto
Four stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic
Power: 169bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh54,500
On sale: now
Crops that could be introduced to the UAE
1: Quinoa
2. Bathua
3. Amaranth
4. Pearl and finger millet
5. Sorghum
Classification from Tour de France after Stage 17
1. Chris Froome (Britain / Team Sky) 73:27:26"
2. Rigoberto Uran (Colombia / Cannondale-Drapac) 27"
3. Romain Bardet (France / AG2R La Mondiale)
4. Fabio Aru (Italy / Astana Pro Team) 53"
5. Mikel Landa (Spain / Team Sky) 1:24"
Company%20profile
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How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
