Brian Hook, the US special representative for Iran who led President Donald Trump's tough stance on Tehran, has resigned from his post, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Thursday.
Mr Pompeo praised Mr Hook’s work on Iran in the past year and a half.
“He successfully negotiated with the Iranians the release of Michael White and Xiyue Wang from prison,” he said.
Mr Pompeo said Mr Hook “set into motion a range of new strategies that advanced the national security interests of the United States and our allies”.
He said the US special representative for Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, would take up Mr Hook's position.
Mr Abrams is known for his hawkish foreign policy views developed across several positions he held in different US administrations.
During the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and George W Bush, he oversaw policy on Latin America, Israel, Lebanon and Iran.
Mr Abrams was convicted in 1991 of misleading Congress during the Iran-contra affair but was pardoned by former president George H W Bush.
He is a fierce opponent of the Iran nuclear deal signed by the previous administration of Barack Obama, writing in 2016 that the deal had no benefits.
"It's obvious that the nuclear deal has made everything worse, by enriching Iran greatly without moderating its conduct at all, by getting us less rather than more information about the Iranian nuclear programme, and perhaps worst of all, by legitimising that programme," Mr Abrams wrote in The Jerusalem Post.
He also supports Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido's claim to leadership over that of President Nicolas Maduro.
In an article from September 2017 for the Council on Foreign Relations, Mr Abrams wrote of North Korea: “Of course we want a different regime there. The same goes for other countries ruled by horrendous tyrannies, such as Iran and Venezuela.”
That year, former US secretary of state Rex Tillerson tried to recruit Mr Abrams for a Middle East position at the department but he was blocked by the White House.
Mr Abrams is a former “never-Trumper” and heavily criticised Mr Trump during the 2016 campaign.
In 2005, after the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri, Mr Abrams played a leading role in gathering support in the administration of George W Bush and at the UN for a special tribunal to look into the killing.
Renewing the UN arms embargo on Iran will be his most immediate challenge as the US prepares to present a resolution to the Security Council next week.
Russia and China, which have power of veto in the council, have objected to extending the embargo set to expire on October 18.
Mr Pompeo said on Wednesday that the US was determined to not let the embargo expire and left options open on imposing snapback sanctions on Iran if the extension were not achieved.
But activating those sanctions would require the Trump administration to return to the Iran nuclear deal from which it withdrew in 2018.
On Wednesday, at his last public event, Mr Hook said he expected the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers to be dismantled as its clauses continued to expire.
“This deal is going to … keep expiring until there's no deal left," he told the Aspen Security Forum.
The nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, placed limits on Iranian nuclear work in exchange for sanctions relief.
Mr Hook also urged renewal of the UN arms embargo and did not rule out returning sanctions.
“We haven’t had a vote yet," he said. " I don’t give up on diplomacy until I see the vote and hands up in New York."
Expert input
If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?
“There are a few shoes that have ‘grail’ status for me. But the one I have always wanted is the Nike x Patta x Parra Air Max 1 - Cherrywood. To get a pair in my size brand new is would cost me between Dh8,000 and Dh 10,000.” Jack Brett
“If I had all the money, I would approach Nike and ask them to do my own Air Force 1, that’s one of my dreams.” Yaseen Benchouche
“There’s nothing out there yet that I’d pay an insane amount for, but I’d love to create my own shoe with Tinker Hatfield and Jordan.” Joshua Cox
“I think I’d buy a defunct footwear brand; I’d like the challenge of reinterpreting a brand’s history and changing options.” Kris Balerite
“I’d stir up a creative collaboration with designers Martin Margiela of the mixed patchwork sneakers, and Yohji Yamamoto.” Hussain Moloobhoy
“If I had all the money in the world, I’d live somewhere where I’d never have to wear shoes again.” Raj Malhotra
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French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Company Profile
Founders: Tamara Hachem and Yazid Erman
Based: Dubai
Launched: September 2019
Sector: health technology
Stage: seed
Investors: Oman Technology Fund, angel investor and grants from Sharjah's Sheraa and Ma'an Abu Dhabi
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CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
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WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS
SQUADS
India
Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shardul Thakur
New Zealand
Kane Williamson (captain), Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Ross Taylor, Tom Latham (wicketkeeper), Henry Nicholls, Ish Sodhi, George Worker, Glenn Phillips, Matt Henry, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Adam Milne, Trent Boult
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
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)
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
