US 'prepared to turn to other options' on Iran, Blinken says


Joyce Karam
  • English
  • Arabic

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken escalated his rhetoric against Iran on Wednesday, saying Washington is ready to “turn to other options” if Tehran does not change course and come back into to compliance with the 2015 nuclear accord.

His remarks came at a trilateral meeting between the UAE and Israel in Washington during which Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, said he would soon be visiting Israel.

Mr Blinken said time is running out for a return to the Iran nuclear deal after months of stalling by Tehran, whose heel-dragging has worsened under its new hard-line government.

“The runway that we have left to [return to the deal] is getting shorter and shorter,” Mr Blinken said.

When asked if a military path was under consideration, Mr Blinken said diplomacy is the preferred course but warned: “We are prepared to turn to other options if Iran doesn't change course.”

His comments were echoed by Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid.

“Other options are going to be on the table if diplomacy fails,” he said. “And by saying other options, I think everybody understands in Israel, in the Emirates and Tehran what is it that we mean.”

Sheikh Abdullah hailed the co-operation with Israel that began following the Abraham Accords that were signed last year.

Asked by The National if he plans to visit Israel following Mr Lapid’s visit to Abu Dhabi last June, the UAE’s top diplomat said such a trip could happen “soon” and that his Israeli counterpart had extended an invitation.

Mr Lapid "was kind enough to invite me to visit Israel and I'm going to visit soon to meet a friend -- but also a partner", Sheikh Abdullah said.

"We need to not only celebrate this relationship, but look at new venues of co-operation," he added, pointing to climate change projects that could leverage Israeli and Emirati technology as one such area.

The Israeli foreign minister responded by saying: “my house is open and my wife is expecting for you to come over for dinner".

But Sheikh Abdullah noted that advancing peace efforts with the Palestinians remains critical.

“The Palestinians are going to be the most important element of the success of peace in the region,” he said, welcoming the recent resumption of meetings between Israeli officials and the Palestinian Authority.

"I'm quite excited to see that in the last few weeks, Israeli ministers are starting to meet with the PA. This is a good start."

On Syria and the US position on Arab countries such as Iraq and Jordan resuming ties with the Assad regime, Mr Blinken told The National that Washington does not support such efforts.

“What we do not intend to do is to express any support for efforts to normalise relations, or rehabilitate Mr Al Assad, or lift a single sanction on Syria or change our position to oppose the reconstruction of Syria until there is irreversible progress towards a political solution, which we believe is necessary and vital,” Mr Blinken said.

The secretary of state explained that US policy towards Syria is focused on principles such as encouraging the government to grant humanitarian access to the north, fighting terrorist organisations, insuring non-proliferation standards and sustaining local ceasefires.

On the Yemen conflict, Sheikh Abdullah said the UAE wants a resolution, "but what's dragging us in the situation is the lack of will and commitment on the Houthis' side".

"We are all working very hard among friends to ensure Yemenis have a better life. But at the same time, we have to keep in mind that we don't end up with a situation where we have another Hezbollah threatening the border of Saudi Arabia," he added.

A new relationship with the old country

Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates

The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:

ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.

ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.

ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.

ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.

DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.

Signed

Geoffrey Arthur  Sheikh Zayed

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Specs

Engine: 2-litre

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 255hp

Torque: 273Nm

Price: Dh240,000

Charlotte Gainsbourg

Rest

(Because Music)

THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick

Hometown: Cologne, Germany

Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)

Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes

Favourite hobby: Football

Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk

Origin
Dan Brown
Doubleday

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League final:

Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports

UK%20record%20temperature
%3Cp%3E38.7C%20(101.7F)%20set%20in%20Cambridge%20in%202019%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015

- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France

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FA Cup quarter-final draw

The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March

Sheffield United v Arsenal

Newcastle v Manchester City

Norwich v Derby/Manchester United

Leicester City v Chelsea

THE%20SPECS
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
TICKETS

For tickets for the two-day Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) event, entitled Dubai Invasion 2019, on September 27 and 28 go to www.meraticket.com.

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 two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

UAE v Gibraltar

What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)

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Updated: October 14, 2021, 6:58 AM