The US has told Iran that if it wants sanctions relief beyond that of the 2015 nuclear deal, it must first address Washington's concerns beyond the pact.
“We are not negotiating in public but if Iran wants sanctions lifting that goes beyond the JCPOA, they will need to address concerns of ours beyond the JCPOA,” a State Department representative said on Thursday, referring to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
The State Department response came after Iran insisted that its Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) be removed from a US terrorism list.
The US insisted this month that the IRGC's elite Quds Force would remain on its designated list of terrorist groups.
Gen Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently told a congressional hearing that the Quds Force, the overseas operations arm of the IRGC, should not be dropped from the terrorist list.
“If they do not want to use these talks to resolve other bilateral issues beyond the JCPOA, then we are confident that we can very quickly reach an understanding on the JCPOA and begin reimplementing the deal,” the State Department representative said.
“Iran needs to make a decision.”
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Qais Al Khazali, leader of the political party and militia Asaib Ahl Al Haq, speaks on January 1, 2022, almost two years after Iranian military commander Qassem Suleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi Al Muhandis were assassinated in a US drone attack in Baghdad. Reuters -

Hadi Al Amiri, centre, head of Badr Organisation, waves to his supporters during the rally, held in the Iraqi capital. Members and supporters the Popular Mobilisation Forces, a group of Shiite militias in Iraq, attended a rally to commemorate Suleimani and Al Muhandis, who died on January 3, 2020. EPA -

A PMF follower carries a picture of Suleimani and Al Muhandis. EPA -

PMF followers at the rally carry pictures featuring Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his predecessor Ayatollah Khomeini, Al Muhandis and Suleimani. EPA -

A PMF follower carries the organisation’s flag and portraits of Al Muhandis and Suleimani. EPA -

Members and supporters of the PMF, also known as Hashed Al Shaabi, take part in a demonstration and a symbolic funeral for Suleimani and Al Muhandis. AFP -

PMF members carry a symbolic coffin for Suleimani during the rally. EPA -

A PMF follower waves a flag depicting Suleimani and Al Muhandis. EPA
The State Department representative was responding to a top Iranian official who earlier said Iran would not give up its plans to avenge Quds Force commander Maj Gen Qassem Suleimani as a condition to end sanctions.
Iran's position on the matter has been a sticking point in nuclear talks.
IRGC navy commander Admiral Alireza Tangsiri said that “enemies have asked us several times to give up avenging the blood of Qassem Suleimani, for the lifting of some sanctions, but this is a fantasy”, according to the IRGC's Sepah News website.
Suleimani was killed in a US drone strike in Iraq's capital of Baghdad in January 2020.
“Under any return to the JCPOA, the United States would retain and aggressively use our powerful tools to address Iran’s destabilising activities and its support for terrorism and terrorist proxies, and especially to counter the IRGC,” the State Department representative said.
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Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi speaking during celebrations marking the annual National Army Day in Tehran. EPA -

Iranian armed forces personnel march during the ceremony. Wana (West Asia News Agency) -

Mr Raisi made a televised speech as talks stalled in Vienna over a deal to rein in Iran’s nuclear capabilities, which Tehran says are for energy and medical purposes. Reuters -

Israel says it will not be bound by any Iran nuclear deal and could eventually take unilateral action against Iranian nuclear sites. Reuters -

Mr Raisi said Iran watches any move by Israel closely. Tehran supports anti-Israeli extremist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. AFP -

Iran's military had managed to improve its capabilities, despite years of sanctions imposed on the country over its nuclear programme, Mr Raisi said. Reuters -

Missiles on display at the military parade. AFP -

Iran's combat drone the Kaman-22 was on display in Tehran. AFP -

Iranian fighter jets fly over the parade. AFP -

Despite Tehran agreeing to reduce its nuclear stockpile in return for sanctions being eased, the 2015 deal has collapsed and Iran has expanded its nuclear work. Reuters
The Quds Force controls the IRGC's militia allies abroad.
The Trump administration put the IRGC on the State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organisations in 2019, the first time Washington formally labelled another nation’s military as a terrorist group.
Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:
- Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
- Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
- Al Towayya in Al Ain
- NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
- Bareen International Hospital
- NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
- NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
- NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
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CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
The%20specs
While you're here
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Sholto Byrnes: How US and China can get along in Indo-Pacific
Brahma Chellaney: Trump's unpredictability is making China great again
Company%20profile
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
A German university was a good fit for the family budget
Annual fees for the Technical University of Munich - £600
Shared rental accommodation per month depending on the location ranges between £200-600
The family had budgeted for food, books, travel, living expenses - £20,000 annually
Overall costs in Germany are lower than the family estimated
As proof that the student has the ability to take care of expenses, international students must open a blocked account with about £8,640
Students are permitted to withdraw £720 per month
MATCH INFO
Borussia Dortmund 0
Bayern Munich 1 (Kimmich 43')
Man of the match: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Mountain%20Boy
Your rights as an employee
The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.
The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 2 (Mahrez 04', Ake 84')
Leicester City 5 (Vardy 37' pen, 54', 58' pen, Maddison 77', Tielemans 88' pen)
Man of the match: Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)
Women%E2%80%99s%20Asia%20Cup
PAKISTAN v SRI LANKA
Twenty20 International series
Thu Oct 26, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
Fri Oct 27, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
Sun Oct 29, 3rd T20I, Lahore
Tickets are available at www.q-tickets.com
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
How%20champions%20are%20made
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5

