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.
Conservative MPs who have publicly revealed sending letters of no confidence
- Steve Baker
- Peter Bone
- Ben Bradley
- Andrew Bridgen
- Maria Caulfield
- Simon Clarke
- Philip Davies
- Nadine Dorries
- James Duddridge
- Mark Francois
- Chris Green
- Adam Holloway
- Andrea Jenkyns
- Anne-Marie Morris
- Sheryll Murray
- Jacob Rees-Mogg
- Laurence Robertson
- Lee Rowley
- Henry Smith
- Martin Vickers
- John Whittingdale
Company%20Profile
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The Matrix Resurrections
Director: Lana Wachowski
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick
Rating:****
Scoreline
Ireland 16 (Tries: Stockdale Cons: Sexton Pens: Sexton 3)
New Zealand 9 (Pens: Barrett 2 Drop Goal: Barrett)
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Thailand v UAE, Tuesday, 4pm (UAE)
TV: Abu Dhabi Sports
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Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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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.”
'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'
Rating: 1 out of 4
Running time: 81 minutes
Director: David Blue Garcia
Starring: Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Mark Burnham
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
Quick facts on cancer
- Cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide, after cardiovascular diseases
- About one in five men and one in six women will develop cancer in their lifetime
- By 2040, global cancer cases are on track to reach 30 million
- 70 per cent of cancer deaths occur in low and middle-income countries
- This rate is expected to increase to 75 per cent by 2030
- At least one third of common cancers are preventable
- Genetic mutations play a role in 5 per cent to 10 per cent of cancers
- Up to 3.7 million lives could be saved annually by implementing the right health
strategies
- The total annual economic cost of cancer is $1.16 trillion
