The US on Monday said that time is fast running out for a deal that would see Iran return to the 2015 nuclear accord.
“We only have a handful of weeks left to get a deal, after which it will, unfortunately, be no longer possible to return to the JCPOA,” a senior US official told reporters, using the Iran deal's formal name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
“We are in the final stretch … This can't go on forever because of Iran's nuclear advances,” the official added, as talks between signatories of the 2015 agreement drag on in Vienna with little sign of progress.
The US is increasingly concerned about Tehran’s shortened breakout capability — the time it would take for Iran to develop nuclear weapons — and a long list of breaches of the agreement.
If no new agreement is reached, the US official predicted that western political and economic pressure would mount on Iran.
He said, however, that a path towards progress remains open.
“There are still significant gaps. I don't want to, in any way, understate those. But we are in a position where the conversations are businesslike and where we can see the path to a deal, if those [political] decisions are made and if it's done quickly,” the official said.
As negotiators return to their capitals following two weeks of talks in Vienna, the US is stressing the importance of action.
“Now is the time for political decisions, there’s also urgency and if we don’t move with that urgency, that opportunity will very soon disappear,” the official said.
Washington is also hoping to engage in direct talks with Iran.
Tehran has rejected that proposal over the past two years, leaving President Joe Biden's administration no choice but to rely on partners to act as go-betweens.
“This is not a matter of asking Iran to do us a favour with direct talks. If Iran doesn't want to talk to us, that is, of course, their decision … This is a favour to the process,” he said.
In the past week, Iran appeared open to the possibility of holding direct talks with the US, but only when a deal is close.
“We have no indication that it is going to be the case when we reconvene,” the US official said.
Asked if there is any news on the release of four US hostages in Iran that the Biden administration has linked to a return to the deal, the official said those discussions continue “with the urgency and priority that they require".
Recent departures within the US negotiating team include the exit of deputy envoy Richard Nephew, a moderate voice and a proponent of sanctions as deterrence against Tehran.
The official expressed regret over Mr Nephew's departure, but stressed the US negotiating team is enacting the administration’s policy, noting, “this is not a matter of a person".
Diplomatic sources in Washington told The National that Mr Nephew had fundamental disagreements with the US envoy, Robert Malley, including being sidelined in the talks.
If a deal is reached, the US official said the next objective would be “to get, at some point, a discussion, a regional discussion” that will address Iran’s “destabilising activities” in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Iran told the International Atomic Energy Agency on Monday it had stopped production at its Tesa complex in Karaj last June and transferred work to another site, the watchdog said.
The move responded to a "security concern" after the attack, with the new site "better protected", a European diplomat told AFP.
The complex, located near the capital Tehran, hosted a workshop to build parts for centrifuges, which are used to enrich uranium.
Iran has sharply accelerated its nuclear activities in the years since 2018, when US president Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 international nuclear deal and imposed sweeping sanctions on Tehran.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
How it works
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
The Lost Letters of William Woolf
Helen Cullen, Graydon House
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
BRIEF SCORES
England 228-7, 50 overs
N Sciver 51; J Goswami 3-23
India 219, 48.4 overs
P Raut 86, H Kaur 51; A Shrubsole 6-46
England won by nine runs
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
