Technicians work at the Arak heavy water reactor's secondary circuit, as officials and media visit the site. AP
Technicians work at the Arak heavy water reactor's secondary circuit, as officials and media visit the site. AP
Technicians work at the Arak heavy water reactor's secondary circuit, as officials and media visit the site. AP
Technicians work at the Arak heavy water reactor's secondary circuit, as officials and media visit the site. AP

Iran blends compromise and confrontation ahead of UN nuclear watchdog report


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Iran is rapidly increasing its stockpile of enriched uranium while co-operating on a number of unresolved nuclear issues, the International Atomic Energy Agency’s forthcoming report is expected to say.

Copies of the UN’s nuclear watchdog's quarterly report have been distributed to IAEA board member states ahead of the organisation's meeting on Monday.

Experts tell The National that the combination of co-operation and continued nuclear research – which could be used for military purposes – is part of a grand negotiation tactic.

“Iran's engagement with the IAEA has avoided a step back, but it doesn't necessarily mean a step forward,” says Naysan Rafati, an Iran analyst at the International Crisis Group.

Seeking to ease nuclear-related sanctions, Iran is keeping the door open for further compromise or further pressure.

But any revival of the defunct 2015 nuclear deal is unlikely, experts say, in part due to other Iranian actions such as building more nuclear facilities deep underground, developing new ballistic missiles, sending weapons to Russia and cracking down on protesters, all of which have angered the US and the EU.

Bringing back the deal

The 2015 deal, reached during Barack Obama's administration, allowed UN inspectors to visit Iran's research sites, place curbs on its nuclear activities and set a limit on uranium enrichment, in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.

The US pulled out of the deal in 2018, with Mr Obama's successor Donald Trump saying the deal was flawed and would allow Iran to continue military nuclear research.

Missiles are displayed alongside a portrait of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran. AP
Missiles are displayed alongside a portrait of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran. AP

Negotiations to revive it began in April 2021 in Vienna, involving the EU, US, China, Russia and Iran, but talks appeared to have stalled.

Debate has also continued between supporters of the deal who believe increasing trade and engagement will moderate Iran’s military activity in the region, and its opponents who say Iran cannot be trusted.

Relations between the US, EU and Iran have became increasingly acrimonious after Tehran gave significant military support to Russia's war in Ukraine.

Iran also seized two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman in April and early May, both linked to US interests, after the US took hold of a tanker suspected of carrying sanctioned Iranian oil.

“The bigger picture is precisely why the US and Europeans no longer believe the draft [nuclear] agreement discussed last year is no longer viable,” says Mr Rafati.

“The transfer of arms to Russia, the internal crackdown in response to anti-government protests, as well as continued tension in the region, like the tanker seizures, all make diplomatic engagement less palatable, even as the stakes, especially on the nuclear issue, become more significant.”

Unexplained uranium

The IAEA quarterly report will partly confirm a claim in Iranian media this week that investigations into man-made uranium particles detected at two sites in Iran have been resolved.

The watchdog repeatedly asked Iran to provide “credible explanations” as to how the particles reached four sites and, in some cases were enriched to more than 80 per cent – close to the 90 per cent level required for a nuclear bomb.

In 2021, the IAEA expressed “deep concern that nuclear material had been present at these undeclared locations”.

The IAEA has apparently said the issue has been resolved at the massive underground site at Fordow, which has been constructed with concrete bunkers within mountains near Qom, thought to be bombproof by some experts.

An investigation at another site, Marivan, is said to now be closed, although no detail has been provided as to why the IAEA found Iran’s explanation of the particles to be credible.

The last IAEA last quarterly report in March said the agency had detected uranium particles at a nuclear fuel enrichment plant at Fordow “that were enriched to a level inconsistent with the level currently declared by Iran”.

The other two sites investigated by the IAEA were facilities at Turquzabad and Varamim.

The Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb, at Whiteman Air Base in Missouri. AP
The Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb, at Whiteman Air Base in Missouri. AP

In a further act of co-operation, Iran is allowing the IAEA to reinstall monitoring cameras at several sites involved in making centrifuges to enrich uranium, and at sites where the process is continuing.

Iran removed about 27 cameras last summer following a wave of mysterious sabotage attacks on nuclear facilities, which they blamed on Israeli secret services.

But some Iranian officials also accused the IAEA of complicity in the sabotage, a charge the organisation denies.

According to the IAEA's forthcoming report, seen by AFP, Iran's enriched uranium stockpile as of May 13 was estimated at 4,744.5 kilograms, or 23 times the limit agreed under the nuclear deal.

Outstanding issues

Despite the compromises, experts are not optimistic.

“There are still a number of safeguards issues from the March agreement that haven't been resolved or only partially addressed, and Iran's enrichment activity continues apace.

"That may help avert another showdown at the Board of Governors next week, but a resumption of wider nuclear deal negotiations remains some ways off,” says Mr Rafati.

Safeguards agreements are intended for countries to demonstrate a commitment to peaceful, rather than military nuclear research.

Citing US intelligence reports, US military chief Gen Mike Milley said Iran could be just six months away from testing a nuclear device.

Experts say Iran is not only seeking sanctions relief and the unfreezing of funds — $7 billion held in banks in South Korea alone — but is also using the co-operation tactic as another negotiation card alongside talks over dual national hostages held by Tehran, some of them US-Iranian citizens.

“This is yet another ‘flexible move’ engineered by the regime just to give those in Europe and the US administration who look for a reason to resume nuclear talks something to do just that. But for now it is more about the funds and the imprisoned US citizens,” says Farzin Nadimi, an Iran expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Gen Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, left, says Iran is capable of testing a nuclear weapon within six months. AFP
Gen Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, left, says Iran is capable of testing a nuclear weapon within six months. AFP

“They need money to stabilise the domestic front, and they need to soften up the IAEA to dodge any possibility of a trigger mechanism,” he says, referring to UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which could trigger a fresh wave of sanctions against Iran if the organisation reports continued violations of the 2015 deal.

“They also need more time to finish up their tunnels and move their machinery into them,” Mr Nadimi says.

According to the US Centre for Non-proliferation Studies in California, new satellite imagery shows Iran is building new underground nuclear facilities in the Zagros mountains.

“There are a lot of moving parts that would have to fall into place to conclude an arrangement,” Mr Rafati says of the various issues in play that are “somewhat uncoupled from the nuclear file”.

“It's far from certain that it would lead to breakthroughs on the nuclear issue, where there are considerable gaps between the two sides,” he said.

How green is the expo nursery?

Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery

An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo

Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery

Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape

The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides

All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality

Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country

Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow

Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site

Green waste is recycled as compost

Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs

Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers

About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer

Main themes of expo is  ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.

Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months

The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X

Price, as tested: Dh84,000

Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo

Transmission: Six-speed auto

Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm

Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km

MATCH INFO

Northern Warriors 92-1 (10 ovs)

Russell 37 no, Billings 35 no

Team Abu Dhabi 93-4 (8.3 ovs)

Wright 48, Moeen 30, Green 2-22

Team Abu Dhabi win by six wickets

Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Rating: 2/5
 
BRIEF SCORES:

Toss: Nepal, chose to field

UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23

Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17

Result: UAE won by 21 runs

Series: UAE lead 1-0

'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEdited%20by%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Idries%20Trevathan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20240%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hirmer%20Publishers%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EAvailable%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ENGLAND SQUAD

Goalkeepers Henderson, Johnstone, Pickford, Ramsdale

Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Godfrey, James, Maguire, Mings, Shaw, Stones, Trippier, Walker, White

Midfielders Bellingham, Henderson, Lingard, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse

Forwards Calvert-Lewin, Foden, Grealish, Greenwood, Kane, Rashford, Saka, Sancho, Sterling, Watkins 

THE SPECS

Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Price: Dh230,000
On sale: now

The Lost Letters of William Woolf
Helen Cullen, Graydon House 

Squad

Ali Kasheif, Salim Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdulrahman, Mohammed Al Attas, Abdullah Ramadan, Zayed Al Ameri (Al Jazira), Mohammed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammed Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Essa, Mohammed Shaker, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah) Walid Abbas, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli), Tariq Ahmed, Jasim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Muharami (Baniyas) 

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid

When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid

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
UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

Results

Stage three:

1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-43

2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s

3. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s

4. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s

5. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s

6. Mikkel Bjerg (DEN) UAE-Team Emirates, at 24s

General Classification:

1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-13-02

2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s

3. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin Fenix, at 12s

4. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s

5. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s

6. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

Results

Light Flyweight (49kg): Mirzakhmedov Nodirjon (UZB) beat Daniyal Sabit (KAZ) by points 5-0.

Flyweight (52kg): Zoirov Shakhobidin (UZB) beat Amit Panghol (IND) 3-2.

Bantamweight (56kg): Kharkhuu Enkh-Amar (MGL) beat Mirazizbek Mirzahalilov (UZB) 3-2.

Lightweight (60kg): Erdenebat Tsendbaatar (MGL) beat Daniyal Shahbakhsh (IRI) 5-0.

Light Welterweight (64kg): Baatarsukh Chinzorig (MGL) beat Shiva Thapa (IND) 3-2.

Welterweight (69kg): Bobo-Usmon Baturov (UZB) beat Ablaikhan Zhussupov (KAZ) RSC round-1.

Middleweight (75kg): Jafarov Saidjamshid (UZB) beat Abilkhan Amankul (KAZ) 4-1.

Light Heavyweight (81kg): Ruzmetov Dilshodbek (UZB) beat Meysam Gheshlaghi (IRI) 3-2.

Heavyweight (91kg): Sanjeet (IND) beat Vassiliy Levit (KAZ) 4-1.

Super Heavyweight ( 91kg): Jalolov Bakhodir (UZB) beat Kamshibek Kunkabayev (KAZ) 5-0.

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

Racecard

6.35pm: The Madjani Stakes – Group 2 (PA) Dh97,500 (Dirt) 1,900m 

7.10pm: Evidenza – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,200m 

7.45pm: The Longines Conquest – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 2,000m 

8.20: The Longines Elegant – Conditions (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 

8.35pm: The Dubai Creek Mile – Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 1,600m 

9.30pm: Mirdif Stakes – Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,400m 

10.05pm: The Longines Record – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,900m  

THE BIO

Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979

Education: UAE University, Al Ain

Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6

Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma

Favourite book: Science and geology

Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC

Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY

Starting at 10am:

Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang

Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)

Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)

Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera 

Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas

Updated: June 02, 2023, 1:11 PM`