Twenty-six US senators have joined Ted Cruz in demanding President Biden allow them a voice in Vienna negotiations with Iran.
The letter said that if Mr Biden did not allow input, the senators would work to block US re-entry into a deal.
Mr Cruz, along with the 26 others, wrote: “We are committed to using the full range of options and leverage available to United States Senators to ensure that you meet those obligations and that the implementation of any agreement will be severely, if not terminally, hampered if you do not”.
The senators suggested Mr Biden was unwilling to present a nuclear agreement to the senate because he knew the agreement would not be robust enough.
“Furthermore, genuinely robust nuclear agreement with Iran would be compelling enough to secure assent from two-thirds of the Senate — and the only reason not to present it for a resolution of ratification is that it is too weak to pass muster,” they said.
Republican senators have long been against a nuclear deal with Iran and largely worked to block the original nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) back in 2015.
At the time of the JCPOA's implementation, Ted Cruz and his Republican allies decried the nuclear agreement for not placing stringent controls on Iran's nuclear activities, saying it would eventually allow Iran to ramp up nuclear enrichment.
Mr Cruz and other senators pushed for president Donald Trump to exit the JCPOA in 2018, a decision regarded by many as a political and diplomatic blunder. Since the US exit from the deal, Iran ramped up its uranium enrichment, pushing well past the point it was at during the JCPOA.
Iran's increased nuclear capabilities have led the US to acknowledge the prior guardrails of the JCPOA are no longer achievable. Iran has moved to enrich uranium much more quickly than anticipated, cutting the breakout period — the time required for enough highly enriched uranium to build a nuclear device, to below one year.
While the Biden administration is unlikely to take seriously the demands of the letter, he will have to send the text of any new agreement with Iran to congress within five days of reaching a deal, following the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015, which requires any deal to be put before congress.
Once that step has been taken, 60 senators must vote to stay in the nuclear pact. Although it is not clear how many senators will vote to stay in a new deal, the 26 signatories of Mr Cruz's letter indicate support for his stance has waned since the original JCPOA.
Iran's nuclear programme has long been a focus of US presidents' foreign policy but with a looming conflict between Ukraine and Russia, the need for de-escalation with Iran will be seen as more critical than ever.
Negotiators from Iran, the US, the European Union, Russia, China, France, Germany and the UK are once again gathering in Vienna on Tuesday hoping to get a new deal on the table.
In a show of goodwill, last week Mr Biden restored sanctions waivers for Iran, allowing it to work with other countries on nuclear co-operation projects. The gesture was taken as an indication a new deal could be on the horizon.
No deadline or specific timeline has been set by those in Vienna.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
more from Janine di Giovanni
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
A%20QUIET%20PLACE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Lupita%20Nyong'o%2C%20Joseph%20Quinn%2C%20Djimon%20Hounsou%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMichael%20Sarnoski%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
Indoor Cricket World Cup Dubai 2017
Venue Insportz, Dubai; Admission Free
Fixtures - Open Men 2pm: India v New Zealand, Malaysia v UAE, Singapore v South Africa, Sri Lanka v England; 8pm: Australia v Singapore, India v Sri Lanka, England v Malaysia, New Zealand v South Africa
Fixtures - Open Women Noon: New Zealand v England, UAE v Australia; 6pm: England v South Africa, New Zealand v Australia
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
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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 one: how cars came to the UAE
The specs: 2018 Maxus T60
Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
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
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
THE BIO
Favourite book: ‘Purpose Driven Life’ by Rick Warren
Favourite travel destination: Switzerland
Hobbies: Travelling and following motivational speeches and speakers
Favourite place in UAE: Dubai Museum
Company%20Profile
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