Change in Iran
Even though it was expected that Hassan Rouhani would eventually draw “red lines” with respect to Iran’s internal politics, he has done so much sooner than expected.
Speaking in Tehran during the annual commemoration of Sacred Defence Week, Mr Rouhani explained that the Iranian armed forces have never interfered in politics and that Iran has never been a military regime.
Mr Rouhani’s words were meant to clarify his previous comments about the relationship between the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and his government.
He is expected to do plenty more explaining during his visit to the United States this week. He kicks off a round of appointments in America this afternoon when he will attend the opening session of the UN General Assembly. He will deliver a speech to the UN later today and will address a nuclear disarmament conference and foreign ministers of the Non-Aligned Movement tomorrow.
Delivering a firm message wrapped in a soft tone, the president said last week that the IRGC “should be far from political affiliations ... because its place is higher than these partisan games and currents. It should not be attached to a side or party.”
The Revolutionary Guard, he emphasised, “should belong to the entire nation, because if a day comes when the unity of the nation is needed, [what] will bring the entire country onto the field under the banner of Islam is the [IRGC]”.
The message made it clear that Mr Rouhani was intending to avoid any tension while maintaining the policies of his regime – the “Wilayet Al Faqih” – at the heart of which lies the IRGC.
Of course, the president isn’t new to the complex rules of the political game.
He’s been closely associated with regime since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, and served as the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council for 16 years.
He understands where and how the IRGC can be addressed and how far he can go in his comments and criticism.
However, anyone trying to understand Mr Rouhani’s red lines shouldn’t consider his approach as a sign of rupture within the regime.
It should rather be seen as his willingness to defuse any potential mines that might blow out his objective of getting his country out of the situation created by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, his predecessor.
Less than 24 hours after Mr Rouhani delivered his speech, many started questioning whether the president’s call on the IRGC to step back from politics might ignite a fresh political standoff.
As debate raged over the president’s stance, the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, received the IRGC high command and clearly said that politics wasn’t their business: “The Revolutionary Guard should know what its task is to guard. It is not necessary for it to act as a guard on the political scene, but it should know the political scene,” Mr Khamenei said, as he reminded the IRGC commanders about the importance of knowing and understanding all political groups and keeping an eye on those who are aiming to harm the revolution and the Islamic republic.
It might be noted that Mr Khamenei’s praise for the new diplomacy, which he called “the heroic flexibility”, could also be the reason behind his remarks on the IRGC.
Commenting about Iranian politics, a former ambassador to Tehran said: “Iranian politics resembles a Persian carpet; it might be full of shapes and drawings, but everything is made to be in its place; different colours should be read as contrast rather than contradiction,” he noted.
It might be logical to suggest that the regime in Iran is considering the need for a break from the past, especially at a time when not only the entire region is weary of confrontation, but the US and the West are also exhausted. This might also help explain the reason behind the exchange of messages between all parties.
Moreover, it’s almost clear to all parties that no one entity can prevail. Now the primary concern is that there are still many pressing issues to address, including Syria, the nuclear programme and Israel. They all need time to be discussed, and solved, which is not an easy task.
The upcoming meetings in New York might be an opportunity for such a breakthrough; this is what many in Tehran believe.
Soothing mood music is filling the air in the US, and those waiting to see Mr Rouhani and Barack Obama together, in what might be described as “coincidence” meeting, think that such an encounter might change many things in the world of politics. That may, however, be investing too heavily in the likelihood of the pair meeting.
Ali Hashem is Tehran bureau chief for Lebanese satellite television channel Al Mayadeen News and contributor to Al Monitor
On Twitter: @alihashem_tv
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
RACECARD%20
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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
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The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
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Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Geneva from Dh2,845 return, including taxes. The flight takes 6 hours.
The package
Clinique La Prairie offers a variety of programmes. A six-night Master Detox costs from 14,900 Swiss francs (Dh57,655), including all food, accommodation and a set schedule of medical consultations and spa treatments.
Managing the separation process
- Choose your nursery carefully in the first place
- Relax – and hopefully your child will follow suit
- Inform the staff in advance of your child’s likes and dislikes.
- If you need some extra time to talk to the teachers, make an appointment a few days in advance, rather than attempting to chat on your child’s first day
- The longer you stay, the more upset your child will become. As difficult as it is, walk away. Say a proper goodbye and reassure your child that you will be back
- Be patient. Your child might love it one day and hate it the next
- Stick at it. Don’t give up after the first day or week. It takes time for children to settle into a new routine.And, finally, don’t feel guilty.
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
England's lowest Test innings
- 45 v Australia in Sydney, January 28, 1887
- 46 v West Indies in Port of Spain, March 25, 1994
- 51 v West Indies in Kingston, February 4, 2009
- 52 v Australia at The Oval, August 14, 1948
- 53 v Australia at Lord's, July 16, 1888
- 58 v New Zealand in Auckland, March 22, 2018
Famous left-handers
- Marie Curie
- Jimi Hendrix
- Leonardo Di Vinci
- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
- Albert Einstein
- Jack the Ripper
- Barack Obama
- Helen Keller
- Joan of Arc
West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes 58-10 Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers 5-39 Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons 16-56 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
SPECS
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The Transfiguration
Director: Michael O’Shea
Starring: Eric Ruffin, Chloe Levine
Three stars
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The%20specs
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Company%20profile%20
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Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier
Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August
Group A
Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar
Group B
UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
UAE group fixtures
Sunday Feb 23, 9.30am, v Iran
Monday Feb 25, 1pm, v Kuwait
Tuesday Feb 26, 9.30am, v Saudi
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza, Rohan Mustafa, Alishan Sharafu, Ansh Tandon, Vriitya Aravind, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Basil Hameed, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Ayaz, Zahoor Khan, Chirag Suri, Sultan Ahmed
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Company%20profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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