Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Iran-backed militant groups across the Middle East have said that an Israeli invasion of Gaza's Rafah would escalate regional tensions.
But Tehran is keen for the conflict in Gaza not to spill over into the wider region, despite an Israeli assault that began earlier this week, sources close to Tehran’s so-called "regional axis” told The National on Wednesday.
Last month, Iran and Israel directly attacked each other's territory for the first time in their prolonged conflict, with Israel's last strike hitting Isfahan three weeks ago.
Since then, tensions have somewhat subsided.
“Despite the latest developments, Tehran's position so far remains committed to the path that has been in place for seven months, which is the tactic of pressure and flexibility,” one of the sources said.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on Wednesday said there was an agreement to focus on reaching a ceasefire in Gaza.
“There is an unwritten agreement with western parties regarding focusing on the truce in Gaza, and they told us that they would move towards that, and today we are witnessing positive effects,” he was quoted by state media as saying.
He added that there had been “intense contacts by the West with Iran, and their main demand was to call on Iran to exercise restraint”.
“If the Americans and westerners adhere to their promises and the truce, this will pave the way to a sustainable ceasefire,” Mr Amirabdollahian added.
Iran-supported militant groups in Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq and Syria have attacked Israeli targets as part of a co-ordinated front since the outbreak of Israel's war in Gaza.
They have demanded an immediate ceasefire in the Palestinian territory run by their ally Hamas.
More than 34,800 people have been killed in Gaza by Israeli fire since October 7, the enclave's Health Ministry has said.
The Israeli military began its offensive after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel and killed more than 1,200.
Indirect talks between the US and Iran achieved an unannounced truce in Iraq in February. The two countries have since then been trying to expand it across conflict-hit areas of the Middle East.
Pragmatism or escalation
Meanwhile, mediators and negotiators were continuing talks to reach a ceasefire in Gaza after Hamas said it had accepted proposals to end the seven-month-old war.
Israel has yet to officially respond to the proposals ironed out by US, Egyptian and Qatari mediators over the past week.
However, its takeover of the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt this week suggests Israel intends to press on with the war, to achieve its stated objective of eliminating Hamas from Gaza.
“The Iranian stance reflects pragmatism,” another source close to Tehran said on Wednesday.
“Tehran did not deviate from its course in general, except perhaps for what happened in April, when it decided to retaliate for the direct attack on its embassy compound in Damascus with a wave of missiles and drones on Israel,” added the source.
“Otherwise, Tehran is committed to caution and the principle of flexibility, as it did in its secret, indirect negotiations with the US in Muscat last January.”
Although Washington has not commented on those discussions, Iranian state media confirmed the rounds of indirect talks, saying they focused on negotiations for removing sanctions against Iran – thought to be a major motivation for Tehran's increased initiative to mitigate regional conflict.
Despite the desire to preserve the status quo, an all-out invasion of Rafah could escalate the situation.
Israel on Monday began its assault on Rafah despite warnings of possible high civilian casualties in the southern city.
The offensive also pushed the ceasefire talks with Hamas to the brink of collapse after they had reached a critical stage.
The Israeli army ordered Palestinian civilians in the east of Rafah to leave as its troops moved into parts of the territory where hundreds of thousands have taken refuge and are living in makeshift tents.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Friday threatened to extend their attacks on Israel-bound shipping to the Mediterranean after months of strikes on vessels in the Red Sea if Israel launches a large-scale invasion of Rafah, where the biggest remaining Hamas units are based according to Israel.
In Lebanon, local media said the Iran-backed Hezbollah has declared “general mobilisation” to be prepared should Israel decide to expand the war after its Rafah assault.
“I think no one wants to see an escalation. But [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, and the illusion in his head to achieve something, perhaps, is the threat to security and stability,” said Mohammad Saleh Sadeghian, director of the Arab Centre for Iranian Studies in Tehran.
Saud Sharafat, a former senior member of Jordanian Intelligence, said Iran could respond though its proxies but only to an Israeli ground assault on the urban centre of Rafah.
Mr Sharafat, who heads the Shorufat Centre for the Study of Globalisation and Terrorism, said that Iran would not risk direct war with Israel for the sake of Hamas.
“Iran has larger interests beyond Hamas,” he added.
CREW
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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
Jawan
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
The%20Last%20White%20Man
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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
Essentials
The flights
Etihad (etihad.ae) and flydubai (flydubai.com) fly direct to Baku three times a week from Dh1,250 return, including taxes.
The stay
A seven-night “Fundamental Detox” programme at the Chenot Palace (chenotpalace.com/en) costs from €3,000 (Dh13,197) per person, including taxes, accommodation, 3 medical consultations, 2 nutritional consultations, a detox diet, a body composition analysis, a bio-energetic check-up, four Chenot bio-energetic treatments, six Chenot energetic massages, six hydro-aromatherapy treatments, six phyto-mud treatments, six hydro-jet treatments and access to the gym, indoor pool, sauna and steam room. Additional tests and treatments cost extra.
3%20Body%20Problem
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreators%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20Benioff%2C%20D%20B%20Weiss%2C%20Alexander%20Woo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBenedict%20Wong%2C%20Jess%20Hong%2C%20Jovan%20Adepo%2C%20Eiza%20Gonzalez%2C%20John%20Bradley%2C%20Alex%20Sharp%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')
Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
The Gentlemen
Director: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant
Three out of five stars
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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NEW%20PRICING%20SCHEME%20FOR%20APPLE%20MUSIC%2C%20TV%2B%20AND%20ONE
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Banthology: Stories from Unwanted Nations
Edited by Sarah Cleave, Comma Press
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
SCHEDULE
Saturday, April 20: 11am to 7pm - Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Festival and Para jiu-jitsu.
Sunday, April 21: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (female) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Monday, April 22: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (male) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Tuesday, April 23: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Masters Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Wednesday, April 24: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Thursday, April 25: 11am-5pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Friday, April 26: 3pm to 6pm Finals of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Saturday, April 27: 4pm and 8pm awards ceremony.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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
Martin Sabbagh profile
Job: CEO JCDecaux Middle East
In the role: Since January 2015
Lives: In the UAE
Background: M&A, investment banking
Studied: Corporate finance
The specs
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder
Transmission: CVT auto
Power: 181bhp
Torque: 244Nm
Price: Dh122,900
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday
Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)
Valencia v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)
Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday
Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)
Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
The five pillars of Islam
Liverpool 4-1 Shrewsbury
Liverpool
Gordon (34'), Fabinho (44' pen, 90' 3), Firmino (78')
Shrewsbury
Udoh (27'minutes)
Man of the Match: Kaide Gordon (Liverpool)