US President Donald Trump upended the last eight years of the carefully crafted US diplomatic approach toward Iran, and delivered a fiery speech decertifying the nuclear deal and threatening to “terminate” it, as the US Treasury department designated Iran’s revolutionary guards corps under 13224 for supporting terrorism.
Mr Trump’s speech on Iran on Friday was leveled against the regime’s actions regionally and domestically as much as it was against the nuclear deal, a correlation that marks a departure from the Barack Obama approach. The US President laid an argument against Iranian behavior and what he called flaws in the JCPOA to announce “that we cannot and will not make this certification.”
While directing Congress to seek a legislation that would strengthen the deal in the next 60 to 90 days, that would later be negotiated with US allies, Mr Trump said failure to do so could result in US termination of the deal reached in 2015. “In the event we are not able to reach a solution working with Congress and our allies, then the agreement will be terminated” he said. “Our participation can be cancelled by me, as President, at any time.”
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The US President launched a war of words in addressing the Iranian government. Calling the regime “rogue”, “fanatical”, “dictatorship”, he labeled it as “the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism", and accused it of providing "assistance to al Qaeda, the Taliban, Hezbollah, Hamas, and other terrorist networks.”
Mr Trump recounted a chronoligical timeline of hostility and “aggression” from Tehran toward the US and regionally since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. From the US embassy hostage crisis in Tehran that year, to the Marines and embassy bombings in Beirut in 1983 and 1984, to the Khobar bombing in Saudi in 1996, Mr Trump accused Iran of being directly or through proxies involved in these attacks.
The US President went as far as accusing Iran of harboring "high-level terrorists in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, including Osama bin Laden's son."
He also accused Tehran of fueling "sectarian violence in Iraq, and vicious civil wars in Yemen and Syria." "Given the regime's murderous past and present, we should not take lightly its sinister vision for the future" he said.
Mr Trump used what he saw as Iran's malicious behavior partially to discredit the deal, calling it "one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into."
"The nuclear deal threw Iran's dictatorship a political and economic lifeline...it gave the regime an immediate financial boost and over $100 billion dollars its government could use to fund terrorism" Mr Trump said.
Criticizing the short time frame of the deal (15 years), Mr Trump said “other countries, they think in terms of 100-year intervals, not just a few years at a time.”
Contrary to the IAEA assessment and that of his own Secretary of State Rex Tillerson who said Iran is "in technical compliance" of the deal, Mr Trump said "the regime has committed multiple violations of the agreement." "On two separate occasions, they have exceeded the limit of 130 metric tons of heavy water...the Iranian regime has also failed to meet our expectations in its operation of advanced centrifuges."
He added that the "Iranian regime has also intimidated international inspectors."
The US President after announcing that he will decertify the deal, took another escalatory measure in “authorizing the Treasury Department to further sanction the entire Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for its support for terrorism and to apply sanctions to its officials, agents, and affiliates.”
As Mr Trump was speaking, the Treasury department announced designating IRGC “pursuant to the global terrorism Executive Order (E.O.) 13224 and consistent with the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act” that was passed by Congress and signed into law last August. The statement accused IRGC of “providing support to a number of terrorist groups, including Hizballah and Hamas, as well as to the Taliban.” While the designation labels IRGC in its entirety for “supporting terror” it is not equivalent to labeling the group as foreign terrorist organization by the State Department. That label applies to Hizbollah and Al-Qaeda and ISIL but administration shied away from it due to “"particular risks and complexities to designating an entire army, so to speak, of a country” said Mr Tillerson.
Following the speech, Congress started working to draft a legislation with trigger points in an attempt to save the nuclear deal. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement that “President Trump’s own Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Generals Mattis and Dunford, both said that it’s in our national security interest to keep the JCPOA in place and I agree.” “I believe Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, will heed their recommendation.”
The House Foreign affairs committee welcomed the speech and said in a statement that it’s “committed to work with the President to address these flaws, hold Iran strictly accountable to its commitments, and support efforts to counter all the Iranian threats.”
UAE Ambassador to the United States, Yousef Al Otaiba welcomed Mr Trump speech said "For many years, Iran has been part of the problem, not part of the solution in the region." He added that Tehran "undermines regional security through supporting violent proxies, promoting sectarianism, and exporting its revolution."
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
UAE%20medallists%20at%20Asian%20Games%202023
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The Sky Is Pink
Director: Shonali Bose
Cast: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, Rohit Saraf
Three stars
INFO
Everton 0
Arsenal 0
Man of the Match: Djibril Sidibe (Everton)
The Limehouse Golem
Director: Juan Carlos Medina
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy, Douglas Booth
Three stars
Seven tips from Emirates NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
Defending champions
World Series: South Africa
Women’s World Series: Australia
Gulf Men’s League: Dubai Exiles
Gulf Men’s Social: Mediclinic Barrelhouse Warriors
Gulf Vets: Jebel Ali Dragons Veterans
Gulf Women: Dubai Sports City Eagles
Gulf Under 19: British School Al Khubairat
Gulf Under 19 Girls: Dubai Exiles
UAE National Schools: Al Safa School
International Invitational: Speranza 22
International Vets: Joining Jack
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDirect%20Debit%20System%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sept%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20with%20a%20subsidiary%20in%20the%20UK%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Undisclosed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elaine%20Jones%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
What is 'Soft Power'?
Soft power was first mentioned in 1990 by former US Defence Secretary Joseph Nye.
He believed that there were alternative ways of cultivating support from other countries, instead of achieving goals using military strength.
Soft power is, at its root, the ability to convince other states to do what you want without force.
This is traditionally achieved by proving that you share morals and values.
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
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
RACECARD
6pm Emaar Dubai Sprint – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Turf) 1,200m
6.35pm Graduate Stakes – Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.10pm Al Khail Trophy – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 2,810m
7.45pm UAE 1000 Guineas – Listed (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
8.20pm Zabeel Turf – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 2,000m
8.55pm Downtown Dubai Cup – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 1,400m
9.30pm Zabeel Mile – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,600m
10.05pm Dubai Sprint – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,200m
India squads
T20: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Krunal Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahul Chahar, Deepak Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Shivam Dube, Shardul Thakur
Test: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant