The wildfires currently rolling through southern California have brought unprecedented damage to the Golden State and dominated global headlines. Thousands of miles away from the US, in Iran, the wildfires have become the subject of a revealing political debate between the country’s divergent political factions. It can be seen as a dress rehearsal for much larger political battles that are bound to rock Tehran in the Trump era.
The reformist government of President Masoud Pezeshkian barely hides its desire to engage with the United States in the hope of reducing tensions. Ali Abdolalizadeh, Mr Pezeshkian's maritime development envoy, recently even claimed that Tehran was happy to directly negotiate with the US and that a deal could be made in two to three months. Iran was hopeful for US investment, particularly in the oil and gas sector, Mr Abdolalizadeh added, engaging in a bit of fantasy. But real power continues to lie not with Mr Pezeshkian but with the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who continues to vocally oppose normalisation of ties with the US. He recently asked Mr Pezeshkian and his government to “avoid considering the demands of US and Israel".
Avoiding a direct confrontation, Mr Pezeshkian and his allies seem to subtly use every opportunity to show an alternative approach to the leader’s anti-Americanism. In response to the wildfires in Los Angeles, they have engaged in humanitarian diplomacy, trying to offer solidarity and even offers of aid.
On January 11, Mr Pezeshkian’s spokeswoman, Fatemeh Mohajerani, expressed the government’s “sympathies with the people of California”. Vice-President Mohammadreza Aref joined her by offering “sympathy” and “prayers for quick improvement for all those affected”. The head of Iran’s Red Crescent Society Pirhosein Kolivand went a mile further in a message to his American counterpart, who heads the US Red Cross. Iran was ready to send “aid equipment and dedicated personnel,” Mr Kolivand said. “You are not alone,” he added, addressing Americans.
This was all a bit much for Mehdi Kouchakzadeh, a hardliner MP from Tehran. In an outburst in the Parliament on January 13, Mr Kouchakzadeh attacked Mr Abdolalizadeh. “Someone has to smack him in the mouth,” Mr Kouchakzadeh said in response to Mr Abdolalizadeh’s stated desire of negotiating with the US. He also attacked Mr Pezeshkian’s Vice-President for Strategic Affairs Javad Zarif, a US-educated diplomat and former foreign minister.
But Mr Kouchakzadeh reserved most of his ire for those who had suggested helping the LA fire victims.
Using non-parliamentary language, Mr Kouchakzadeh said that as an Iranian taxpayer, he wouldn't consent to one cent of his taxes going to Los Angeles before it’s spent on Gaza.
The hardliner MP is not alone. Some pro-regime Iranian outlets have been running appalling coverage of the American wildfires. The Americans were receiving “God’s fury,” a news agency wrote. Hardliner daily Kayhan invoked a Karma-like Islamic concept to claim that the US was suffering from the fires because it was paying for its sins towards “Gaza’s innocent children and Palestinian mothers”. Even Ali Motahhari, a former conservative MP, said the fires were “a warning from the divine world to the US government and a majority of the American people”.
But Mr Kouchakzadeh’s antics have also led to a lot of opposition. The video of his speech has gone viral leading to many attacks on social media. Many observers have curtly reminded him that if “Iranian taxpayers” were to have a say, they likely wouldn’t have funded Iran’s myriad foreign militias. Others, such as public intellectual Sadeq Zibakalam, pointed out that Mr Kouchakzadeh had been elected by fewer than 400,000 votes in a city of six million eligible voters, so he hardly represented the majority. This is because most reformists and non-hardliners were not allowed to run in the parliamentary elections last year resulting in record-low turn-out, especially in Tehran. The hardliner-dominated Parliament thus suffers from a crisis of legitimacy.
The hardliner MP is not alone. Some pro-regime Iranian outlets have been running appalling coverage of the American wildfires
Even some conservatives demurred. Conservative analyst Abbas Salimi Namin criticised the MP for “making human matters into political and factional questions”. There was no contradiction between supporting Palestine and offering sympathy to victims of the LA fires, he added. Many Americans had shown that they opposed their government’s support for Israel, he added. Salimi Namin also pointed out that there has always been a faction in the Islamic Republic that believed in negotiations with the US, formerly headed by Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a former president and a founding father of the regime.
But perhaps the most comprehensive answer to Mr Kouchakzadeh was given by the reformist daily Sharq, which attacked him “as always lowly and angry." It reminded its readers that back in 2003, the US had helped Iran during the devastating earthquake in the city of Bam. The Bush administration had even suspended its sanctions on Iran for three months. Sharq also recounted an episode from those days that many have now forgotten: Hassan Rouhani, then Iran’s national security advisor, visited the field hospitals that Americans had set up in Bam, an encouraging sign of Iranian-American contact at the time when tensions were incredibly high after the Iraq War.
For its part, the government also gave a response. Speaking to the press on January 15, Ms Mohajerani said Iran had not given any help to Angelenos yet but was expressing its readiness to do so since the fires were continuing. “We all have one world and live in the same world,” she added.
No one expects Iran to send any actual aid to California, of course. But the symbolic gesture by the Pezeshkian government is unmistakable, testing the waters of eventual engagement with the US. If the stated desires of US President Donald Trump and many in the Iranian regime come true, such engagement is forthcoming. It will be subject to much louder noise and disagreements, in both Tehran and Washington.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl
Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: Dh99,000
On sale: now
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SPECS
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States of Passion by Nihad Sirees,
Pushkin Press
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
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8
Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Price: from Dh850,000
On sale: now
Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)
Nancy Ajram
(In2Musica)
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
Match info
Manchester United 4
(Pogba 5', 33', Rashford 45', Lukaku 72')
Bournemouth 1
(Ake 45 2')
Red card: Eric Bailly (Manchester United)
How The Debt Panel's advice helped readers in 2019
December 11: 'My husband died, so what happens to the Dh240,000 he owes in the UAE?'
JL, a housewife from India, wrote to us about her husband, who died earlier this month. He left behind an outstanding loan of Dh240,000 and she was hoping to pay it off with an insurance policy he had taken out. She also wanted to recover some of her husband’s end-of-service liabilities to help support her and her son.
“I have no words to thank you for helping me out,” she wrote to The Debt Panel after receiving the panellists' comments. “The advice has given me an idea of the present status of the loan and how to take it up further. I will draft a letter and send it to the email ID on the bank’s website along with the death certificate. I hope and pray to find a way out of this.”
November 26: ‘I owe Dh100,000 because my employer has not paid me for a year’
SL, a financial services employee from India, left the UAE in June after quitting his job because his employer had not paid him since November 2018. He owes Dh103,800 on four debts and was told by the panellists he may be able to use the insolvency law to solve his issue.
SL thanked the panellists for their efforts. "Indeed, I have some clarity on the consequence of the case and the next steps to take regarding my situation," he says. "Hopefully, I will be able to provide a positive testimony soon."
October 15: 'I lost my job and left the UAE owing Dh71,000. Can I return?'
MS, an energy sector employee from South Africa, left the UAE in August after losing his Dh12,000 job. He was struggling to meet the repayments while securing a new position in the UAE and feared he would be detained if he returned. He has now secured a new job and will return to the Emirates this month.
“The insolvency law is indeed a relief to hear,” he says. "I will not apply for insolvency at this stage. I have been able to pay something towards my loan and credit card. As it stands, I only have a one-month deficit, which I will be able to recover by the end of December."
Buy farm-fresh food
The UAE is stepping up its game when it comes to platforms for local farms to show off and sell their produce.
In Dubai, visit Emirati Farmers Souq at The Pointe every Saturday from 8am to 2pm, which has produce from Al Ammar Farm, Omar Al Katri Farm, Hikarivege Vegetables, Rashed Farms and Al Khaleej Honey Trading, among others.
In Sharjah, the Aljada residential community will launch a new outdoor farmers’ market every Friday starting this weekend. Manbat will be held from 3pm to 8pm, and will host 30 farmers, local home-grown entrepreneurs and food stalls from the teams behind Badia Farms; Emirates Hydroponics Farms; Modern Organic Farm; Revolution Real; Astraea Farms; and Al Khaleej Food.
In Abu Dhabi, order farm produce from Food Crowd, an online grocery platform that supplies fresh and organic ingredients directly from farms such as Emirates Bio Farm, TFC, Armela Farms and mother company Al Dahra.
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
