A top Iranian security official on Wednesday blamed the West's "deceptive strategy" for stalling any revival of nuclear talks, not "tactical problems" or Iran's domestic politics, as stated by France's foreign minister.
France, along with Britain, Germany and the European Union, are striving to bring the US and Iran to the table for informal talks as a first step towards reviving the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran, which lifted international sanctions on the country in exchange for curbs to its nuclear programme.
"There is a tactical problem and also an internal [issue] in Iran, which is in a particular situation because we are quite close to [its] presidential election in June," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told a French Senate hearing on Tuesday.
Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, hit back on Twitter: "Nothing will happen unless the #UnitedStates takes effective actions to lift the oppressive #sanctions."
"The current stalemate is not tactical and domestic, but related to the West's deceptive strategy," Mr Shamkhani said, without mentioning Mr Le Drian.
Mr Le Drian did not say what the tactical problem was, but added that while there was a stated will to return to talks, tension prevailed and it was urgent to calm the situation and move forward.
Iran began breaching the deal's limits on uranium enrichment activity in 2019 in response to a US withdrawal from the deal and the reimposition of economic sanctions ordered by former president Donald Trump, who opposed the agreement – reached before he took office – and sought to wreck it.
Iran has recently accelerated its breaches in an apparent bid to pressure US President Joe Biden, with both sides in a standoff over who should move first to save the deal.
Both countries so far appear unwilling to compromise. The Iranian New Year this week and the presidential elections in June are also likely to complicate matters.
Tehran has ruled out broadening nuclear talks to other subjects such as its ballistic missile programme, as called for by Washington.
More on Palestine-Israeli relations
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
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Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
'Shakuntala Devi'
Starring: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra
Director: Anu Menon
Rating: Three out of five stars
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THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
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Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster with a decades-long career in TV. He has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others. Karam is also the founder of Takreem.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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