Iran could be on a collision course with US President Donald Trump’s administration and Israel after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Mr Trump to “do whatever damn thing” he wants, rejecting negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Experts fear Israel is planning to strike Iran's nuclear centres this year and is seeking US support, even if only logistical, for the attack. Mr Trump has said that while he prefers negotiations, Iran's extensive nuclear research and uranium enrichment programme could be dealt with “militarily”.
“It's not acceptable for them to say, 'we're ordering you not to do this, and not to do that, or we'll do this,'” Mr Pezeshkian said during a meeting with Iranian entrepreneurs on Tuesday, according to state media. “When you threaten me, I don't want to negotiate with you.”
Previously, Tehran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and ambassador to the UN Amir Saeed Iravani also insisted talks on a nuclear deal with the US are not on the table.
On Tuesday, France, Greece, Panama, South Korea, Britain and the US called a UN Security Council meeting to discuss Iran's nuclear programme. The UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has warned Iran is making strides towards being able to weaponise stockpiles of enriched uranium.
At the weekend, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, dismissed US calls for discussions over the nuclear programme as “bullying”. Mr Araghchi said that instead of seeking compromise with the US over nuclear research, which the US insists is for military purposes, Iran was “consulting with the E3 – and separately with Russia and China”.
The E3 comprises Britain, France and Germany, a group of countries initially dedicated to trying to revive the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers under which sanctions on Iran were lifted in exchange for Tehran curbing its nuclear programme.
Iran agreed to a now withered UN inspections regime of its nuclear infrastructure but relations between Tehran and the IAEA quickly soured amid allegations Iran was withholding information.
The first Trump presidency backed away from the agreement, claiming it allowed Iran too much leeway to restart a military nuclear programme at a future date.
The US in 2018 imposed a sanctions campaign that slashed Iran’s oil exports by about 80 per cent by late 2020, causing serious economic damage. Mr Trump has revived that policy, which was weakened under the administration of former US president Joe Biden due to a rise in Iranian oil smuggling.
Early moves by Mr Trump against Iran include a wide range of sanctions on its so-called “shadow fleet” of crude-smuggling vessels and last week Washington was said to be looking into counter oil-smuggling operations at sea.
The maximum pressure gamble
“The United States' intensified ‘maximum pressure’ campaign through sanctions on Iran is likely to strengthen hardliners within Tehran,” said Freddy Khoueiry, global security analyst for the Middle East and North Africa at Rane Risk Intelligence. “This shift in the domestic power dynamic could further diminish prospects for diplomatic engagement and increase Tehran’s resolve to resist external pressure.”
“As hardliners consolidate their influence, there is an increased probability that Iran will escalate its nuclear hedging strategy,” Mr Khoueiry warned. “The growing perception among the hardliners that a nuclear deterrent is essential – both against the US and Israel – could accelerate Iran’s pursuit of weapons-grade capabilities. This scenario raises the risk of further escalation, particularly as diplomatic off-ramps become increasingly limited.”
It is not clear how a separate talks process – perhaps with the EU and Russia and excluding the US – could succeed. In December, the EU warned that Iran must “immediately halt its nuclear escalation” and France’s President Emanuel Macron has said Europe is ready to take tougher measures against Tehran.
The UK and Europe have already joined the US in increasing sanctions on Iran, targeting shipping and aviation, among other sectors, saying their measures punish the regime for its intervention in the Ukraine war – Tehran has sent thousands of drones to Russia and helped Moscow set up mass domestic production of the weapons.
France is also leading a campaign in the EU for the bloc to designate the powerful wing of Iran’s armed forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as a terrorist group.
Experts fear both Israel and Iran are already moving much faster towards confrontation than Europe or Iran’s allies Russia and China are working towards a diplomatic solution.
On the Iranian side, defence preparations have been almost non-stop, with boosted aerial drone fleets, reorganised air defences – after Israel seriously damaged them in October – and regular drills. Iran, too, has been taking delivery of missile fuel from China, thought to be replenishment for expended stocks in intense attacks on Israel in April and October.
On the Israeli side, there is believed to be an understanding that Iran’s nuclear programme may be weeks away from a bomb, which many experts believe.
“Israel, perceiving Iran as strategically vulnerable and emboldened by both US support under the Trump administration and its own long-standing commitment to preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear capabilities, is increasingly likely to take pre-emptive military action,” Mr Khoueiry said. “Such a strike would almost certainly provoke direct Iranian retaliation.
“That could trigger broader regional security risks, including escalated Houthi attacks on shipping lanes and potential strikes on Gulf states, particularly if the US is perceived as complicit by using its bases in the Gulf for any military action against Tehran.”
According to analysis by the Institute for Science and International Security, Iran could already create enough highly enriched uranium for at least five nuclear bombs a month in an accelerated enrichment campaign.
IAEA estimates, on which the analysis is based, say Iran already has enough for five bombs, if it chose to enrich from 60 per cent to 90 per cent purity.
Israel may also be reluctant to delay strikes on Iran’s centres in the knowledge that Tehran is rebuilding air defences, albeit in limited form compared to last year, after losing hard-to-replace systems.
According to one US official speaking off record to Israeli media, an American strike force would need two days of sustained bombing to significantly damage Iran’s nuclear sites, meaning an Israeli campaign would face huge challenges merely to delay Tehran’s weapons programme.
“An alternative risk scenario exists,” Mr Khoueiry said. “Even in the event of an unexpected diplomatic breakthrough leading to a new agreement, Israel may seek to sabotage negotiations by launching strikes against Iran regardless. Given these converging factors, the risk of military escalation over the coming months and into next year remains significantly high.”
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Stree
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5
INDIA'S%20TOP%20INFLUENCERS
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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
Honeymoonish
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Courses%20at%20Istituto%20Marangoni%2C%20Dubai
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUndergraduate%20courses%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EInterior%20Design%3B%20Product%20Design%3B%20Visual%20Design%3B%20Fashion%20Design%20%26amp%3B%20Accessories%3B%20Fashion%20Styling%20%26amp%3B%20Creative%20Direction%3B%20Fashion%20Business%3B%20Foundation%20in%20Fashion%3B%20Foundation%20in%20Design%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EProfessional%20courses%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EFashion%20e-Commerce%20%26amp%3B%20Digital%20Marketing%3B%20Fashion%20Entrepreneurship%3B%20Fashion%20Luxury%20Retail%20and%20Visual%20Merchandising%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EShort%20courses%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EFashion%20design%3B%20Fashion%20Image%20%26amp%3B%20Styling%3B%20Fashion%20Trend%20Forecasting%3B%20Interior%20Design%3B%20Digital%20Art%20in%20Fashion%3Cbr%3EMore%20information%20is%20at%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.istitutomarangoni.com%2Fen%3Futm_source%3DLocal%26utm_medium%3Dorganic%26utm_campaign%3Dgmb%26utm_content%3Ddubai%22%20target%3D%22_self%22%3Ewww.istitutomarangoni.com%3C%2Fa%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
PSG's line up
GK: Alphonse Areola (youth academy)
Defence - RB: Dani Alves (free transfer); CB: Marquinhos (€31.4 million); CB: Thiago Silva (€42m); LB: Layvin Kurzawa (€23m)
Midfield - Angel di Maria (€47m); Adrien Rabiot (youth academy); Marco Verratti (€12m)
Forwards - Neymar (€222m); Edinson Cavani (€63m); Kylian Mbappe (initial: loan; to buy: €180m)
Total cost: €440.4m (€620.4m if Mbappe makes permanent move)
Four-day collections of TOH
Day Indian Rs (Dh)
Thursday 500.75 million (25.23m)
Friday 280.25m (14.12m)
Saturday 220.75m (11.21m)
Sunday 170.25m (8.58m)
Total 1.19bn (59.15m)
(Figures in millions, approximate)
match info
Union Berlin 0
Bayern Munich 1 (Lewandowski 40' pen, Pavard 80')
Man of the Match: Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich)
The biog
Hobbies: Salsa dancing “It's in my blood” and listening to music in different languages
Favourite place to travel to: “Thailand, as it's gorgeous, food is delicious, their massages are to die for!”
Favourite food: “I'm a vegetarian, so I can't get enough of salad.”
Favourite film: “I love watching documentaries, and am fascinated by nature, animals, human anatomy. I love watching to learn!”
Best spot in the UAE: “I fell in love with Fujairah and anywhere outside the big cities, where I can get some peace and get a break from the busy lifestyle”
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
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder
Transmission: CVT auto
Power: 181bhp
Torque: 244Nm
Price: Dh122,900
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
The specs: 2018 Genesis G70
Price, base / as tested: Dh155,000 / Dh205,000
Engine: 3.3-litre, turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 370hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 510Nm @ 1,300rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.6L / 100km
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Company%20profile
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The%20specs
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THE%20HOLDOVERS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlexander%20Payne%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Paul%20Giamatti%2C%20Da'Vine%20Joy%20Randolph%2C%20Dominic%20Sessa%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Juvenile arthritis
Along with doctors, families and teachers can help pick up cases of arthritis in children.
Most types of childhood arthritis are known as juvenile idiopathic arthritis. JIA causes pain and inflammation in one or more joints for at least six weeks.
Dr Betina Rogalski said "The younger the child the more difficult it into pick up the symptoms. If the child is small, it may just be a bit grumpy or pull its leg a way or not feel like walking,” she said.
According to The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases in US, the most common symptoms of juvenile arthritis are joint swelling, pain, and stiffness that doesn’t go away. Usually it affects the knees, hands, and feet, and it’s worse in the morning or after a nap.
Limping in the morning because of a stiff knee, excessive clumsiness, having a high fever and skin rash are other symptoms. Children may also have swelling in lymph nodes in the neck and other parts of the body.
Arthritis in children can cause eye inflammation and growth problems and can cause bones and joints to grow unevenly.
In the UK, about 15,000 children and young people are affected by arthritis.
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI