“It’s complicated.” Perhaps this term is best to describe Iraqi-Iranian relations. Sharing a 1,458 kilometre-long border, the influence of the two countries on one another spans centuries.
While some Iraqis look to Iran as a natural ally, most are concerned about Tehran’s ambitions to flex its muscle in the country and call its political shots.
The relationship between Baghdad’s political elite and Tehran is in marked contrast with the most recent past. This month the two countries mark a sombre anniversary: 30 years since the end of the costly war that the two countries fought against one another.
While the end of the war itself was a good moment in time, the loss for both countries was huge.
Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and Iranians died in combat; estimates range from 400,000 to 600,000 of war dead. Both countries conscripted all their able-bodied men as the war dragged on and the number of those returning with injuries was even higher.
According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the fate of tens of thousands of Iraqis and Iranians remains unknown after they went missing during the conflict.
An eight-year war that led to the bombing of the major cities of both countries continues to haunt generations who either lived through the war or lost relatives to it.
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For some, the war has not ended. In the aftermath of the 2003 war, pilots who had served in the Iraqi air force were targeted, with an estimated 182 Iraqi pilots who had flown warplanes over Iran killed between 2003 and 2004.
American cables posted on Wikileaks confirm the systematic targeting of Iraqi air force pilots in revenge killings that led to close to 1,000 Iraqi pilots fleeing the country.
Once touted as the best in the Arab world, Iraq’s air force was destroyed by these assassinations and forced displacement. Military leaders have since worked to regain the air force’s position but the loss of Iraq’s finest continues to haunt its armed forces.
Iran has been able to settle scores in Iraq over the last 15 years with the collapse of Iraq’s security apparatus and the failure of the US-led coalition to provide any real protection to those who ended up on hit lists drafted in Tehran.
Score-settling has also led to the targeting of specific industries in Iraq, including agriculture and local manufacturing, with Iran undercutting local markets.
With a lack of government oversight, Iraqi industries are suffering on multiple levels, including supermarkets packed with Iranian produce and Iraqi towns held hostage by Iranian electricity supplies.
Protests are a frequent occurrence in Iraq's south, week after week, as electricity supplies have all but broken down, in large part due to Iran's decision to cut back its electricity supply to Iraq.
Most significant is Iran’s influence on Iraqi militias like Kataib Hezbollah and Asaib Ahl Al Haq, set up by Iran and taking their orders from its Revolutionary Guard Corps.
As the famed commander of the Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani, crosses Iraq's border freely and holds meetings with its political leadership, Iraq's sovereignty is compromised.
Those who don’t see a problem with Iranian interference in Iraq argue that it is “natural” for Tehran to play a role in Iraq.
However, there is nothing natural for one nation-state to hold sway over thousands of armed men in a neighbouring country.
Nor is there anything natural in its ability to determine government formation, as has been the case over the past decade. And yet one must be cautious in overestimating Iran’s role in Iraq, as nationalist politicians and citizens alike try to find ways to limit Tehran’s role.
Iraq has long been referred to in Arabic as the “eastern frontier”, protecting the Arab world from historic Persian ambitions.
It was a term that former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein touted for years. And while Iraqis do not want their country to be a buffer zone in the region, leading to more bloodshed, there is an element of truth to Iran’s regional ambitions going through Iraq.
The country is integral to Tehran’s strategic plan to have a land corridor running to Lebanon and, more specifically, to Hezbollah.
What could have only been a far-fetched ambition 30 years ago has been realised in the aftermath of the Iraq war of 2003, the security vacuum that resulted and the complete reliance of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad’s regime on Iran for its survival.
Through Iraq and Syria’s internal conflicts, Iran has been able to translate its ambitions through militias and armed groups that report directly to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
Thirty years after the terrible war between the two countries, it is vital to ensure good relations between them. That requires Iran to respect Iraq’s sovereignty and to stop settling old scores.
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Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
History's medical milestones
1799 - First small pox vaccine administered
1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery
1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases
1895 - Discovery of x-rays
1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1953 - Structure of DNA discovered
1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place
1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill
1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.
1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
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A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 420 bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: from Dh293,200
On sale: now
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 1 (Hudson-Odoi 90 1')
Manchester City 3 (Gundogan 18', Foden 21', De Bruyne 34')
Man of the match: Ilkay Gundogan (Man City)
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
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Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
MO
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GULF MEN'S LEAGUE
Pool A Dubai Hurricanes, Bahrain, Dubai Exiles, Dubai Tigers 2
Pool B Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jebel Ali Dragons, Dubai Knights Eagles, Dubai Tigers
Opening fixtures
Thursday, December 5
6.40pm, Pitch 8, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Knights Eagles
7pm, Pitch 2, Jebel Ali Dragons v Dubai Tigers
7pm, Pitch 4, Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Exiles
7pm, Pitch 5, Bahrain v Dubai Eagles 2
Recent winners
2018 Dubai Hurricanes
2017 Dubai Exiles
2016 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2015 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
2014 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
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
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