US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed his fears that it may be too late to restore the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran if talks drag on.
"We still have significant differences with Iran," Mr Blinken told an audience in Paris on Friday.
The Vienna discussions on readmitting the US to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that set some limits on Iran's atomic programme failed to meet expectations of a deal in the latest round, which broke up last week.
"There will come a point, yes, where it will be very hard to return to the standards set by the JCPOA," he said.
If Iran "continues to spin ever more sophisticated centrifuges" and steps up uranium enrichment, Mr Blinken said, the "breakout" time – the point at which Tehran will be dangerously close to the ability to develop a nuclear bomb – would undermine the deal's limits.
Mr Blinken said that US President Joe Biden continues to support a return to the accord, under which Iran had scaled back its nuclear work, until former president Donald Trump withdrew in 2018 and imposed sanctions on Tehran.
"We have a national interest in trying to put the nuclear problem back in the box that it was in the JCPOA," Mr Blinken said.
"We haven't reached that point – I can't put a date on it – but it's something that we're conscious of."
Mr Blinken also met the French president Emmanuel Macron and a statement said the two men discussed security challenges as well as the crisis in Lebanon. "Secretary Blinken and President Macron exchanged views on countering terrorist threats, supporting democracy, and joint efforts to improve the capacity of our African partners in the Sahel region," the State Department said. "They also discussed efforts underway with African and other partners to address the humanitarian and human rights crises in Tigray, while emphasising the need for Lebanon’s leaders to come together for the good of the Lebanese people."
France on Friday urged the Iranian government to make the final decisions to allow the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal through the re-entry of the US to the accord.
"We expect the Iranian authorities to make the final decisions – no doubt difficult ones – which will allow the negotiations to be concluded" in Vienna, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said.
Meanwhile, the diplomats were also concerned about the lapse of an interim monitoring deal the International Atomic Energy Agency said expired on Thursday.
It is in talks with Iran for another extension.
"This remains a serious concern," Mr Blinken said. "The concern has been communicated to Iran and needs to be resolved."
Mr Blinken, who was raised in Paris, saluted the alliance with France and sprinkled his remarks with fluent French, in a sharp change of tone after the sometimes abrasive "America First" approach of the Trump administration.
"My dear Tony, I'm really very happy to welcome you to Paris," Mr Le Drian said, as he received Mr Blinken in an ornate room of the Quai d'Orsay, the French Foreign Ministry.
"It's expected that you would visit Paris because you're at home here. I would even be tempted to say, welcome home!"
Mr Blinken is on a European tour that has taken him to Germany and will continue in Italy, after a recent visit by Mr Biden to the continent.
The administration is looking to solidify relations with European governments in the face of growing challenges from China and Russia.
On hotspots of strategic importance to the French, Mr Blinken promised solidarity on tackling extremism in the Sahel and a united front on Lebanon.
"We have decided to act together to put pressure on those responsible. We know who they are," Mr Le Drian said of Lebanon, which is engulfed in economic and political crises.
"We need to see real leadership in Beirut," Mr Blinken said.
He is scheduled to meet Pope Francis and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Pope's de facto foreign minister, on Monday at the Vatican.
Pope Francis has supported the fight against climate change, called for greater compassion towards refugees and played a key role in behind-the-scenes diplomacy with the administration of Barack Obama that worked towards normalising relations with Cuba – a process reversed by Mr Trump.
The US secretary of state said that the first priority of the US in the context of Israel and Palestine was assisting the people of Gaza after the recent conflict.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
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
Monster Hunter: World
Capcom
PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Match info
Uefa Nations League A Group 4
England 2 (Lingard 78', Kane 85')
Croatia 1 (Kramaric 57')
Man of the match: Harry Kane (England)
UAE%20FIXTURES
%3Cp%3EWednesday%2019%20April%20%E2%80%93%20UAE%20v%20Kuwait%3Cbr%3EFriday%2021%20April%20%E2%80%93%20UAE%20v%20Hong%20Kong%3Cbr%3ESunday%2023%20April%20%E2%80%93%20UAE%20v%20Singapore%3Cbr%3EWednesday%2026%20April%20%E2%80%93%20UAE%20v%20Bahrain%3Cbr%3ESaturday%2029%20April%20%E2%80%93%20Semi-finals%3Cbr%3ESunday%2030%20April%20%E2%80%93%20Third%20position%20match%3Cbr%3EMonday%201%20May%20%E2%80%93%20Final%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
'Avengers: Infinity War'
Dir: The Russo Brothers
Starring: Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Robert Downey Junior, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen
Four stars
THE LOWDOWN
Photograph
Rating: 4/5
Produced by: Poetic License Motion Pictures; RSVP Movies
Director: Ritesh Batra
Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar, Deepak Chauhan, Vijay Raaz
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champioons League semi-final, first leg:
Liverpool 5
Salah (35', 45 1'), Mane (56'), Firmino (61', 68')
Roma 2
Dzeko (81'), Perotti (85' pen)
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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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 National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202-litre%204-cylinder%20turbo%20and%203.6-litre%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20automatic%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20235hp%20and%20310hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E258Nm%20and%20271Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh185%2C100%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
RACE CARD
4pm Al Bastakiya – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
4.35pm Dubai City Of Gold – Group 2 (TB) $228,000 (Turf) 2,410m
5.10pm Mahab Al Shimaal – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,200m
5.45pm Burj Nahaar – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m
6.20pm Jebel Hatta – Group 1 (TB) $260,000 (T) 1,800m
6.55pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (TB) $390,000 (D) 2,000m
7.30pm Nad Al Sheba – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (T) 1,200m
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
RESULTS
5pm Wathba Stallions Cup Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner Munfared, Fernando Jara (jockey), Ahmed Al Mehairbi (trainer)
5.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Sawt Assalam, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner Dergham Athbah, Pat Dobbs, Mohamed Daggash
6.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner Rajee, Fernando Jara, Majed Al Jahouri
7pm Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner Kerless Del Roc, Fernando Jara, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
7.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner Pharoah King, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
8pm Conditions (PA) Dh85,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner Sauternes Al Maury, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson
