For Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, seeking a return to the nuclear deal before his protege Ebrahim Raisi becomes president in August is a win-win strategy.
It would secure sanctions relief and allow the new administration to maintain its anti-western stance.
The affinity between the two men goes back to 1989, when Mr Raisi was appointed as Tehran's prosecutor in the same year Mr Khamenei became supreme leader.
Their relationship is also based on their shared ultra-conservative ideology, solid relations with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and a long record of empowering Iran’s hardline judiciary while suppressing dissent.
The incoming president was a member of a four-man "death committee" in the 1980s that executed political detainees with no due process.
His rapport with Mr Khamenei helped Mr Raisi become the head of Iran’s powerful judiciary in 2017, a position he will hold until he assumes the presidency.
But even though both men have been critical of the nuclear talks and the deal reached with world powers in 2015, a return to it before Mr Raisi takes office could be preferable.
“We support the negotiations that guarantee our national interests," Mr Raisi said on Monday.
"America should immediately return to the deal and fulfil its obligations under the deal."
Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran programme at the Middle East Institute think tank, said Mr Khamenei could have it both ways if a deal were reached before President Hassan Rouhani leaves office.
"Mr Raisi can claim credit and the regime will sell it as his 'tough' line forced the hands of the western powers," Mr Vatanka told The National.
Sanctions relief is a priority for Mr Khamenei. The Iranian rial has lost more than 80 per cent of its value against the dollar since former president Donald Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018.
Mr Vatanka said returning to the deal in the next two months could inject much-needed cash into the country early in Mr Raisi’s presidency.
Dina Esfandiary, senior adviser on the Middle East at the International Crisis Group think tank, said a deal under Mr Rouhani was an ideal outcome for his successor.
"This means any negative issues can be blamed on the previous administration while Raisi takes credit for the good sides and its implementation," Ms Esfandiary told The National.
On Sunday, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the ultimate decision on whether or not Tehran would return to the deal rested with Iran’s supreme leader.
“Ultimately, it lies with him and his decisions as to whether he wants to go down the path of diplomacy or face mounting pressure, not just from the United States but from the rest of the international community,” Mr Sullivan said.
But for follow-up talks that would address Iran’s ballistic missile programme and regional behaviour, Mr Raisi’s ascendance complicates matters for the administration of US President Joe Biden.
"Regional issues and missiles are not negotiable," Iran's new president said, while also pre-emptively spurning any meeting with Mr Biden.
A seventh round of talks to return to the nuclear deal is expected to be held in Vienna before the end of the month.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry
4/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8
Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Price: from Dh850,000
On sale: now
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Khalid%20Fahad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Shaima%20Al%20Tayeb%2C%20Wafa%20Muhamad%2C%20Hamss%20Bandar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz