The US attack on Iran marks a watershed moment for the Middle East after years of tension over the Iranian nuclear programme.
For two decades, Iran has been accused by Israel, the US and others of running a secret weapons programme and enriching uranium to develop an atomic bomb.
Iran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful. In 2015 it agreed to curb its activities in exchange for sanctions relief, but that deal later unravelled and tension soared again.
A push for a new deal began after US President Donald Trump returned to power in January. But he always warned military strikes were an alternative option. Just over a week after Israel attacked Iran, the US entered the war.
2013-2019: Deal made, then broken
November 2013: Iran and several global powers announce an interim deal that temporarily curbs Tehran's nuclear programme and unfreezes some Iranian assets, setting the stage for fuller negotiations.
April 2015: A framework nuclear deal is announced, outlining long-term restrictions on Iran’s nuclear programme and the removal of many international sanctions.
July 2015: A full nuclear deal is announced between Iran and major powers including the US, Britain, Russia and China. It is known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
May 2018: Donald Trump, during his first term as president, unilaterally withdraws the US from the nuclear agreement, calling it the “worst deal ever”. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had lobbied for a withdrawal.
August 2018: The Trump administration begins to restoresanctions on Iran that were lifted under the JCPOA, targeting a range of sectors from carpets and pistachios to gold and commercial aircraft.
November 2018: The US re-enforces the most onerous sanctions that were lifted under the deal, targeting Iran’s banking and oil sectors.
April 2019: Mr Trump designates Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organisation, marking the first time the US has blacklisted part of another nation’s military in this way.
May 2019: Iran announces it will begin breaching the accord, setting a 60-day ultimatum for Europe to compensate for American-led sanctions before it begins enriching uranium to higher levels.
July 2019: Iran announces it has exceeded the nuclear deal’s curbs on its low-enriched uranium stockpile.
September 2019: Iran begins spinning advanced centrifuges prohibited under the 2015 deal.
November 2019: Iran injects uranium gas into centrifuges at its underground Fordow plant.
2020: Suspected sabotage and a new US president
January 3, 2020: A US drone strike in Baghdad kills Qassem Soleimani, the head of the IRGC's foreign operations branch, after a series of tit-for-tat attacks between Iran and the US.
January 8, 2020: In retaliation for Soleimani's killing, Iran launches a barrage of missiles at US bases in Iraq. More than 100 US service members suffer brain injuries.
July 2020: An explosion tears apart a centrifuge production plant at Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment facility. Iran blames the blast on Israeli sabotage.
October 2020: A decade-long UN arms embargo on Iran that banned it from purchasing foreign weapons expires as scheduled under the nuclear deal, despite American objections.
November 2020: Joe Biden wins the US presidential election.
2021: IAEA oversight weakened
January 2021: Iran begins enriching uranium up to 20 per cent and seizes a South Korean-flagged oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz.
February 2021: Inspectors at the International Atomic Energy Agency lose access to surveillance cameras, as well as data from enrichment monitors and electronic seals, amid a stand-off with Iran. Tehran pledges to hold on to the tapes and give them back when granted sanctions relief.
April 6, 2021: Iran and the new Biden administration begin indirect negotiations in Vienna over how to restore the nuclear deal.
April 11, 2021: A second attack targets the Natanz nuclear site, with suspicion falling on Israel.
April 16, 2021: Iran begins enriching uranium up to 60 per cent – its highest purity so far and only a short technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent.
June 19, 2021: Ebrahim Raisi, a hardline ally of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is elected Iran's president.
December 2021: The IAEA says Iran has begun feeding a cascade of 166 advanced IR-6 centrifuges at its underground Fordow facility. A deal is reached to reinstall cameras at another site.
2022-23: Opportunities lost
March 2022: Nuclear talks in Vienna break off without an agreement, after Russia invades Ukraine and makes new demands on sanctions and trade with Iran.
June 2022: The IAEA board of governors censures Iran for failing to provide answers on man-made traces of uranium found at three undeclared sites. Iran begins disconnecting dozens of IAEA surveillance cameras.
August 2022: Negotiators from Iran, the US and the EU hold indirect talks on a tentative deal, but it falls apart. France, Germany and Britain say Iran “has chosen not to seize this critical diplomatic opportunity”.
February 2023: Iran acknowledges an accusation from inspectors that it enriched particles of uranium to 84 per cent purity for the first time. The issue ultimately is settled, but puts new pressure on negotiators.
October 7, 2023: Hamas militants from Gaza storm into Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 others hostage. It begins the worst ever war between Israel and Hamas. Iran, which has armed Hamas, offers support to the militants. Regional tensions spike.
2024-2025: Return of Trump
June 2024: The IAEA board of governors censures Iran for failing to co-operate with the agency. The agency says Iran has started up new cascades of advanced centrifuges and plans to install others.
November 2024: Mr Trump wins the US presidential election. During the campaign he said repeatedly that Iran "can't have a nuclear weapon".
April 2025: Mr Trump makes a surprise announcement that the US and Iran will begin talks on Tehran's nuclear programme. Three rounds of talks follow in Muscat and Rome, with positive progress reported. Iran suggests it would welcome US investment.
May 11, 2025: A fourth round of talks take place in Muscat, described by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as “difficult but useful”.
May 13, 2015: In a speech in Riyadh, Mr Trump condemns Iran's actions but offers its leaders a "new path" to peace, saying the "choice is theirs" on whether to make a del.
May 23, 2025: A fifth round of talks takes place in Rome with signs of limited progress emerging.
May 31, 2025: The US says it sent Iran a proposal for a nuclear deal via the Omani Foreign Minister, which Mr Khamenei says is “against” Iranian interests.
June 8, 2025: Iran announces it will present a counter-proposal after calling for guarantees that US sanctions will be lifted under a new deal.
June 11, 2025: Mr Trump says he is “less confident” of reaching a deal. Later, the US announces it is preparing to evacuate non-essential staff from the US embassy in Baghdad.
June 12, 2025: The IAEA finds Iran in breach of non-proliferation duties.
2025: War breaks out
June 13, 2025: Israel mounts a surprise attack on Iran. Several of Iran's top military commanders are killed in an aerial bombardment known as Operation Rising Lion. A full-scale air war ensues as Iran hits back with hypersonic missile and drone strikes.
June 16, 2025: Israel bombs an Iranian TV station on the fourth day of its campaign as the air war spreads into civilian areas. Iran destroys buildings in Tel Aviv.
June 17, 2025: Mr Trump demands Iran's "unconditional surrender" as his early departure from a G7 summit fuels speculation the US is set to enter the war.
June 22, 2025: The US enters the war, attacking Iranian nuclear sites such as Fordow with its "bunker-buster" bombs. Iran vows to respond.
RESULT
Huddersfield Town 2 Manchester United 1
Huddersfield: Mooy (28'), Depoitre (33')
Manchester United: Rashford (78')
Man of the Match: Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield Town)
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
ZAYED SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE
Lowest Test scores
26 - New Zealand v England at Auckland, March 1955
30 - South Africa v England at Port Elizabeth, Feb 1896
30 - South Africa v England at Birmingham, June 1924
35 - South Africa v England at Cape Town, April 1899
36 - South Africa v Australia at Melbourne, Feb. 1932
36 - Australia v England at Birmingham, May 1902
36 - India v Australia at Adelaide, Dec. 2020
38 - Ireland v England at Lord's, July 2019
42 - New Zealand v Australia in Wellington, March 1946
42 - Australia v England in Sydney, Feb. 1888
'Downton Abbey: A New Era'
Director: Simon Curtis
Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter and Phyllis Logan
Rating: 4/5
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
AIDA%20RETURNS
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PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE
1 Man City 26 20 3 3 63 17 63
2 Liverpool 25 17 6 2 64 20 57
3 Chelsea 25 14 8 3 49 18 50
4 Man Utd 26 13 7 6 44 34 46
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5 West Ham 26 12 6 8 45 34 42
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6 Arsenal 23 13 3 7 36 26 42
7 Wolves 24 12 4 8 23 18 40
8 Tottenham 23 12 4 8 31 31 39
Petrarch: Everywhere a Wanderer
Christopher Celenza,
Reaktion Books
ICC T20 Rankings
1. India - 270 ranking points
2. England - 265 points
3. Pakistan - 261 points
4. South Africa - 253 points
5. Australia - 251 points
6. New Zealand - 250 points
7. West Indies - 240 points
8. Bangladesh - 233 points
9. Sri Lanka - 230 points
10. Afghanistan - 226 points
If you go
Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.
Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com
A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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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
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Meydan race card
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh125,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,200m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh170,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 (D)1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff
By Sean Penn
Simon & Schuster
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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