An overture by Barack Obama to extend a hand of peace to Iran if the Islamic Republic "unclenches its fist" met with an unexpectedly tetchy response from the US president's mercurial Iranian counterpart yesterday.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad welcomed the possibility of change in US foreign policy. But he insisted the United States first must stop supporting Israel, withdraw US troops from across the world and apologise for "crimes" against Iran dating six decades. Such measures - representing a largely unrealistic wish list - were needed if the United States is to demonstrate that the Obama administration's much trumpeted commitment to change was genuine and not merely tactical.
"We welcome change but on condition that change is fundamental and on the right track," Mr Ahmadinejad told a large rally in western Iran that was broadcast live on state television.
Despite his robust language, Mr Ahmadinejad is intrigued by Mr Obama's declared readiness to improve relations: the Iranian president sent him an unprecedented letter of congratulations after his election victory in November.
Mr Ahmadinejad is seeking re-election is June and knows that improved relations with the "global arrogance" - the United States - is a certain vote-winner with his country's youthful electorate.
At the same time, Iran next week celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution that ousted the US-backed shah. As the populist Iranian president knows, now is not the time to flatter Uncle Sam.
Mr Ahmadinejad's outburst nevertheless reflected Iranian concerns that the Obama administration may prove different in style but not in substance to its predecessor. Washington, in turn, has yet to be convinced that Tehran is genuinely prepared to respond to any new overture to end three decades of enmity that could stabilise the whole region.
US analysts said the Obama administration was offering Tehran a "different approach which Mr Ahmadinejad was "wholly unprepared to deal with".
Gary Sick of Columbia University in New York, one of the United States' pre-eminent Iran experts, said Mr Obama had shown a "tremendous amount of courage" in reaching out to Iran. Washington was now waiting to see if that courage would be matched by Tehran, Prof Sick said in an interview.
Many Iranians consider Hillary Clinton, the new US secretary of state, a hawk and there are concerns that Mr Obama's yet-to-be-named envoy to Iran will be Dennis Ross, an old Middle East hand who is viewed in Tehran as a staunch "Israel-firster".
Some US analysts say Mr Ross could be useful because his appointment would allay Israeli fears it could lose out in any rapprochement between Tehran and Washington.
Iranian officials detected an unsettling ambiguity in comments this week by Susan Rice, the new US ambassador to the United Nations. She pledged "direct" support to Tehran if it halts its nuclear programme, but appeared to suggest Iran must suspend uranium enrichment before talks could begin. That was a precondition set by the Bush administration that Tehran steadfastly rejected.
Kian Mokhtari, a regular commentator in Kayhan, a hardline daily newspaper, scoffed yesterday: "During his presidential election campaign, Obama spoke of talks without preconditions ? so is Ambassador Rice a loose cannon or have the same Zionist mules in the White House been hard at work again to try to prevent a lasting peace in the Middle East region?"
Mrs Clinton implied this week that it was up to Tehran to take the first step if it wanted to enjoy a beneficial new relationship with Mr Obama's administration. Mr Ahmadinejad saw it differently: the United States first needs to prove its good faith.
"Those who speak of change must apologise to the Iranian people and try to repair their past bad acts and the crimes they committed against Iran," he said.
"You were standing against the Iranian people in the past 60 years." That timeline was a clear reference to the CIA's role in a British-inspired coup that toppled the democratically elected and popular Iranian leader, Mohammad Mossadegh, in 1953, because he had nationalised his country's oil industry.
Mr Ahmadinejad conveniently overlooked an uncomfortable fact: nine years ago Madeleine Albright, the US secretary of state under Bill Clinton, clearly apologised for her country's role in that coup. Washington at the time was attempting to reach out to Iran, which then had a very popular and moderate president, Mohammad Khatami, whose attempts to reciprocate were thwarted by Tehran's old guard.
Most of the US public has no knowledge of the coup against Mr Mossadegh, an event seared into the Iranian psyche in the same way that the 1979 takeover of the US Embassy in Tehran has scarred US perceptions of the Islamic republic.
Mr Ahmadinejad had other demands. "If you talk about change, it must put an end to the US military presence in the world - withdraw your troops and take them back inside your borders," he said. Advocates of change also must stop "supporting the Zionists, outlaws and criminals".
The Iranian president knows his demand for Washington to cut support for Israel is fanciful. More realistic is Mr Obama's expectation that the United States will treat Iran as a vital regional player that can help stabilise Iraq and Afghanistan.
mtheodoulou@thenational.ae
The bio
Favourite food: Japanese
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Favourite hobby: Football
Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough
Favourite country: UAE
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Liz%20Truss
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
How Beautiful this world is!
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPowertrain%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle%20electric%20motor%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E201hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E310Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E53kWh%20lithium-ion%20battery%20pack%20(GS%20base%20model)%3B%2070kWh%20battery%20pack%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E350km%20(GS)%3B%20480km%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C900%20(GS)%3B%20Dh149%2C000%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The specs
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder
Transmission: CVT auto
Power: 181bhp
Torque: 244Nm
Price: Dh122,900
All%20The%20Light%20We%20Cannot%20See%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESteven%20Knight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EMark%20Ruffalo%2C%20Hugh%20Laurie%2C%20Aria%20Mia%20Loberti%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2F5%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%20specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Switching%20sides
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The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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