Trump's strikes are a major setback for Iran's nuclear programme, but the regime remains intact


Ali Alfoneh
Ali Alfoneh
  • English
  • Arabic

June 22, 2025

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initiated a war he knew Israel could not win on its own, wagering instead that he could get US President Donald Trump into finishing the job for him. So far, the gamble appears to have partially paid off: Mr Trump, despite his well-known aversion to entangling the US in another “forever war”, nonetheless authorised a strike that significantly degraded Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, effectively removing the prospect of nuclear weaponisation in the near and medium terms.

Tactically, it was a success for Israel. Strategically, however, the outcome remains far less certain.

The Islamic Republic’s core command-and-control architecture remains intact, at least for now. The political leadership, including supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, retains operational cohesion. Iran’s coercive institutions – the IRGC, the Ministry of Intelligence and the Basij paramilitary forces – continue to function with efficacy. Even former establishment insiders and political dissidents, such as former parliamentary speaker Mehdi Karroubi, issued calls for national unity under enemy bombardment. No high-level defections have been reported.

The Iranian public did not rise against its rulers. Faced with existential threat, most Iranians retreated into survival mode. There are signs of a limited “rally-around-the-flag” effect, as nationalist sentiment temporarily bridges the divide between establishment and society. The outlawed Mojahedin-e-Khalq, which had supported Iraq’s war against Iran in the 1980s, remains marginal. Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince who publicly endorsed Israeli air strikes, may find himself in a similar position as the number of civilian casualties rises.

Equally disheartening from the perspective of Israeli strategic planners is the absence of internal insurgency. The editorial pages of The Jerusalem Post called for support to Iran’s Baloch, Kurdish and Arab minorities, long marginalised and intermittently restive, but apart from minor incidents, no large-scale armed uprisings have materialised. Iran’s centralised security state, hardened by decades of internal unrest, appears firmly in control, even in the historically volatile border regions.

This leaves Israel trapped in an open-ended conflict. The air campaign continues, but with diminishing returns. Iran has so far demonstrated strategic patience, avoiding retaliation against US military assets. This restraint reflects a calculated decision to avoid full-scale American involvement. Mr Trump’s address to the nation following the strikes was consistent with his long-standing reluctance to engage in major overseas military commitments. Regime change in Tehran does not appear to be part of Washington’s current agenda.

  • Gen Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, holds a press conference at the Pentagon after the US military struck three sites in Iran. AP
    Gen Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, holds a press conference at the Pentagon after the US military struck three sites in Iran. AP
  • A handout satellite image made available by Maxar Technologies shows craters and ash on a ridge at the Fordow underground uranium enrichment following US air strikes. EPA
    A handout satellite image made available by Maxar Technologies shows craters and ash on a ridge at the Fordow underground uranium enrichment following US air strikes. EPA
  • Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men look in shock at a building ruined in an Iranian missile strike in Haifa, Israel. Getty Images
    Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men look in shock at a building ruined in an Iranian missile strike in Haifa, Israel. Getty Images
  • Cars damaged in Haifa. Getty Images
    Cars damaged in Haifa. Getty Images
  • Debris in Tel Aviv. Israel was hit by a wave of aerial attacks from Iran after the US entered the war overnight and bombed several Iranian nuclear sites. Getty Images
    Debris in Tel Aviv. Israel was hit by a wave of aerial attacks from Iran after the US entered the war overnight and bombed several Iranian nuclear sites. Getty Images
  • Emergency workers search for survivors in the Ramat Aviv neighbourhood of Tel Aviv, after it was bombed. Getty Images
    Emergency workers search for survivors in the Ramat Aviv neighbourhood of Tel Aviv, after it was bombed. Getty Images
  • Residential buildings destroyed at the site of an Iranian air strike in Ramat Aviv. Getty Images
    Residential buildings destroyed at the site of an Iranian air strike in Ramat Aviv. Getty Images
  • Missiles launched from Iran are intercepted over Tel Aviv. Reuters
    Missiles launched from Iran are intercepted over Tel Aviv. Reuters
  • Israeli emergency teams at the site of an Iranian missile strike on a residential complex in Tel Aviv. EPA
    Israeli emergency teams at the site of an Iranian missile strike on a residential complex in Tel Aviv. EPA
  • People look at a site bombed in Haifa. Reuters
    People look at a site bombed in Haifa. Reuters
  • Israeli emergency personnel at a building hit by an Iranian missile strike, in Haifa. Reuters
    Israeli emergency personnel at a building hit by an Iranian missile strike, in Haifa. Reuters
  • Israeli emergency personnel at a building hit by an Iranian missile strike, in Haifa. AFP
    Israeli emergency personnel at a building hit by an Iranian missile strike, in Haifa. AFP
  • A car hit by a missile launched from Iran, in Haifa. AFP
    A car hit by a missile launched from Iran, in Haifa. AFP
  • Israeli emergency personnel at a building hit by an Iranian missile strike, in Haifa. AFP
    Israeli emergency personnel at a building hit by an Iranian missile strike, in Haifa. AFP
  • Israeli emergency personnel at a building hit by an Iranian missile strike, in Haifa. AFP
    Israeli emergency personnel at a building hit by an Iranian missile strike, in Haifa. AFP
  • Israeli emergency personnel at a building hit by an Iranian missile strike, in Haifa. AFP
    Israeli emergency personnel at a building hit by an Iranian missile strike, in Haifa. AFP
  • Israeli emergency personnel at a building hit by an Iranian missile strike, in Haifa. AFP
    Israeli emergency personnel at a building hit by an Iranian missile strike, in Haifa. AFP
  • People gather outside a damaged building in Haifa. Reuters
    People gather outside a damaged building in Haifa. Reuters
  • Israeli ambassador to the UN in Geneva addresses and emergency session. AFP
    Israeli ambassador to the UN in Geneva addresses and emergency session. AFP
  • Israelis flee an Iranian missile strike in the port city of Haifa. AP Photo
    Israelis flee an Iranian missile strike in the port city of Haifa. AP Photo
  • An injured man is helped after an Iranian missile strike in Haifa. AP Photo
    An injured man is helped after an Iranian missile strike in Haifa. AP Photo
  • A protester holds up a portrait of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at a demonstration against Israeli attacks on Iran, in Beirut, Lebanon. AP Photo
    A protester holds up a portrait of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at a demonstration against Israeli attacks on Iran, in Beirut, Lebanon. AP Photo
  • People take shelter as air raid sirens warn of incoming Iranian strikes in Tel Aviv. AP Photo
    People take shelter as air raid sirens warn of incoming Iranian strikes in Tel Aviv. AP Photo
  • Smokes rises from Soroka Medical Centre, in Beersheba, southern Israel, after it was hit by an Iranian missile. AP
    Smokes rises from Soroka Medical Centre, in Beersheba, southern Israel, after it was hit by an Iranian missile. AP
  • White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt takes questions from reporters. She said President Donald Trump would decide whether the US would join Israel’s war on Iran 'in the next two weeks'. AFP
    White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt takes questions from reporters. She said President Donald Trump would decide whether the US would join Israel’s war on Iran 'in the next two weeks'. AFP
  • Iran's Arak heavy water reactor, in central Iran, after Israeli air strikes. Reuters
    Iran's Arak heavy water reactor, in central Iran, after Israeli air strikes. Reuters
  • People march in Times Square, New York, to call on President Trump not to go to war with Iran. AFP
    People march in Times Square, New York, to call on President Trump not to go to war with Iran. AFP
  • Israel's Iron Dome air defence system intercepts missiles fired from Iran over Tel Aviv. EPA
    Israel's Iron Dome air defence system intercepts missiles fired from Iran over Tel Aviv. EPA
  • Israelis shelter in an underground train station in Ramat Gan after a missile warning. Getty Images
    Israelis shelter in an underground train station in Ramat Gan after a missile warning. Getty Images
  • Israeli special forces check the remains of a suspected Iranian ballistic missile in northern Israel. Reuters
    Israeli special forces check the remains of a suspected Iranian ballistic missile in northern Israel. Reuters
  • Smoke rises after an Israeli attack in the Iranian capital, Tehran. Reuters
    Smoke rises after an Israeli attack in the Iranian capital, Tehran. Reuters
  • A picture released by Iran's armed forces claims to show an Israeli drone shot down outside the central city of Isfahan. AP
    A picture released by Iran's armed forces claims to show an Israeli drone shot down outside the central city of Isfahan. AP
  • People take cover inside a cable car tunnel in Haifa after an Iranian missile attack. Reuters
    People take cover inside a cable car tunnel in Haifa after an Iranian missile attack. Reuters
  • Israeli air defence systems fire at Iranian missiles over Tel Aviv. AFP
    Israeli air defence systems fire at Iranian missiles over Tel Aviv. AFP
  • Missiles are intercepted above Ashkelon, Israel. Reuters
    Missiles are intercepted above Ashkelon, Israel. Reuters
  • Smoke rises in Tehran. Reuters
    Smoke rises in Tehran. Reuters
  • A building burns after strikes on the Israeli city of Herzliya, near Tel Aviv. AFP
    A building burns after strikes on the Israeli city of Herzliya, near Tel Aviv. AFP
  • An Iranian missile causes an explosion in Tel Aviv. AP
    An Iranian missile causes an explosion in Tel Aviv. AP
  • Rescuers sift through the remains of a damaged building in Tel Aviv after a barrage of Iranian rockets. AFP
    Rescuers sift through the remains of a damaged building in Tel Aviv after a barrage of Iranian rockets. AFP
  • A wounded man is treated after an explosion in Tehran. AP
    A wounded man is treated after an explosion in Tehran. AP

This posture places Mr Netanyahu and Israel in an increasingly precarious position. Without a decisive knockout blow and lacking a regional coalition to share the burden, Israel risks strategic overextension. Worse still, Iran retains escalation options. There is the risk of Tehran, under continued bombardments from Israel, internationalising the conflict by targeting energy infrastructure in the region or blocking international waterways.

It is possible that Israel, as the initiator of the war, finds itself diplomatically isolated by the resulting global outcry, while the regime it sought to dismantle claims victory through survival. The Iranian leadership, adept at constructing narratives of resistance, would present endurance as triumph, not through battlefield success but through continued existence. As with the war with Iraq from 1980 to 1988, the longer the war continues, the more it may consolidate the regime’s position.

This is the central miscalculation of Mr Netanyahu’s strategy. It was predicated on the flawed assumption that external pressure alone could produce regime change or mass revolt. It underestimated the establishment’s institutional resilience, overestimated the opposition’s capacity to mobilise and misread the limits of American political will. It also conflated tactical success – the destruction of centrifuges – with strategic transformation. But Iran is not Gaza, and the IRGC is not Hamas. The Islamic Republic has a deeper state apparatus and a long record of survival under duress.

If Israel’s objective was to delay Iran’s nuclear ambitions, it has done so, temporarily. But if the broader aim was to induce regime collapse or significant internal instability, current indicators point to failure. The greater risk now is that Israel becomes entangled in a protracted war of attrition against a regime that specialises in strategic endurance. The longer the conflict drags on without resolution, the more Mr Netanyahu’s gamble threatens to backfire, both diplomatically and domestically, as Israeli society confronts the toll of a campaign with no clear exit.

In the end, the Islamic Republic may emerge from this conflict damaged but intact. If Israel is eventually compelled, by international pressure or operational fatigue, to suspend its bombing campaign, Tehran will claim victory. And in the political logic of authoritarian regimes, mere survival in the face of overwhelming external force is often enough to do so. Mr Netanyahu may succeed in delaying Iran’s nuclear programme, but at the price of strategic stalemate – and an emboldened adversary.

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BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

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WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

Saturday's schedule at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

GP3 race, 12:30pm

Formula 1 final practice, 2pm

Formula 1 qualifying, 5pm

Formula 2 race, 6:40pm

Performance: Sam Smith

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2020 Oscars winners: in numbers
  • Parasite – 4
  • 1917– 3
  • Ford v Ferrari – 2
  • Joker – 2
  • Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood – 2
  • American Factory – 1
  • Bombshell – 1
  • Hair Love – 1
  • Jojo Rabbit – 1
  • Judy – 1
  • Little Women – 1
  • Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl) – 1
  • Marriage Story – 1
  • Rocketman – 1
  • The Neighbors' Window – 1
  • Toy Story 4 – 1
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
  • Drones
  • Animals
  • Fireworks/ flares
  • Radios or power banks
  • Laser pointers
  • Glass
  • Selfie sticks/ umbrellas
  • Sharp objects
  • Political flags or banners
  • Bikes, skateboards or scooters
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.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

UAE rugby in numbers

5 - Year sponsorship deal between Hesco and Jebel Ali Dragons

700 - Dubai Hurricanes had more than 700 playing members last season between their mini and youth, men's and women's teams

Dh600,000 - Dubai Exiles' budget for pitch and court hire next season, for their rugby, netball and cricket teams

Dh1.8m - Dubai Hurricanes' overall budget for next season

Dh2.8m - Dubai Exiles’ overall budget for next season

A new relationship with the old country

Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates

The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:

ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.

ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.

ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.

ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.

DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.

Signed

Geoffrey Arthur  Sheikh Zayed

Results

5pm: Wadi Nagab – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Al Falaq, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)

5.30pm: Wadi Sidr – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Fakhama, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash

6.30pm: Wadi Shees – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Mutaqadim, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami

7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 – Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami

7.30pm: Wadi Tayyibah – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Poster Paint, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar

Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

World record transfers

1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m

Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.

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%3Cp%3E1.%20Baghdad%2C%20Iraq%3Cbr%3E2.%20Manama%2C%20Bahrain%3Cbr%3E3.%20Dhahran%2C%20Saudi%20Arabia%3Cbr%3E4.%20Kuwait%20City%2C%20Kuwait%3Cbr%3E5.%20Ras%20Al%20Khaimah%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E6.%20Ash%20Shihaniyah%2C%20Qatar%3Cbr%3E7.%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E8.%20Cairo%2C%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E9.%20Riyadh%2C%20Saudi%20Arabia%3Cbr%3E10.%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%202022%20World%20Air%20Quality%20Report%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MOST%20POLLUTED%20COUNTRIES%20IN%20THE%20WORLD
%3Cp%3E1.%20Chad%3Cbr%3E2.%20Iraq%3Cbr%3E3.%20Pakistan%3Cbr%3E4.%20Bahrain%3Cbr%3E5.%20Bangladesh%3Cbr%3E6.%20Burkina%20Faso%3Cbr%3E7.%20Kuwait%3Cbr%3E8.%20India%3Cbr%3E9.%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E10.%20Tajikistan%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%202022%20World%20Air%20Quality%20Report%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

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

The specs
Engine: 2.5-litre, turbocharged 5-cylinder

Transmission: seven-speed auto

Power: 400hp

Torque: 500Nm

Price: Dh300,000 (estimate)

On sale: 2022 

Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

South and West: From a Notebook
Joan Didion
Fourth Estate 

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SPECS
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'Falling%20for%20Christmas'
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Who has been sanctioned?

Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.

Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.

Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.

Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.

Abaya trends

The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed

Based: Muscat

Launch year: 2018

Number of employees: 40

Sector: Online food delivery

Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception 

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

Classification of skills

A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation. 

A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.

The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000. 

Updated: June 22, 2025, 8:37 AM