In the six years and six months since the US pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, there has been concern about how to limit its nuclear programme. Tehran’s steady enrichment of its nuclear stockpile has added to instability in the Middle East and raised fears of conflict.
In 2015, as part of an agreement with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, and the EU, Tehran had agreed to curb its nuclear programme in exchange for relief from international sanctions that were crippling the Iranian economy.
But in 2018, after the US withdrew from the deal, Iran increased its uranium enrichment, reaching more than 32 times the limit agreed upon in the JCPOA. In recent months, it further increased its stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60 per cent, a relatively short distance from the 90 per cent needed to build a nuclear weapon.
On Tuesday, a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency revealed that Iran was halting the expansion of its stockpile, which would put on hold its march to become a nuclear power.
Tellingly, this development comes just two months before Mr Trump, who had pledged to resume his policy of "maximum pressure" against Tehran, is due to return to office. It also follows a recent visit to Tehran by IAEA director general Rafael Grossi, where he received assurance from President Masoud Pezeshkian that his government was willing to resolve doubts over its atomic programme.
Iran's decision is said to be conditional on western powers suspending their push for a resolution against it during an IAEA meeting this week over a lack of co-operation with the UN nuclear watchdog. All this points to a small but important victory for diplomatic efforts amid months-long wars in the Middle East that have threatened a direct conflict between Iran and the US.
This is particularly notable given the history of acrimony between Washington and Tehran, the effects of the war in Gaza and Lebanon on this already fractious dynamic and Iran continuing to sponsor militias in the Middle East.
Walking back from the brink would be a sensible policy course for Iran. The country’s image has been dented in recent months, not just from Israeli strikes on Iranian soil but also from the damage Israel has meted out to Iran's proxies in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.
Domestically, too, the Iranian government faces challenges, including discontent with the country’s economic isolation and a political mood shift towards greater diplomatic overtures to the West. The country's cumulative economic troubles are only set to sharpen given new EU and UK sanctions for its supply of drones and munitions towards Russia's war effort in Ukraine.
With Mr Trump's impending return to the White House – and the spectre of even harsher sanctions looming large – there may be an opportunity to return to stronger diplomatic efforts.
The incoming Trump administration should use this breakthrough to push for a new nuclear deal with Iran – one that broadens the JCPOA's narrow focus to include a way to deal with Iran’s regional activities and support for armed groups. That would be an achievement that both America and Iran could be proud of.
The five pillars of Islam
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if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Expert input
If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?
“There are a few shoes that have ‘grail’ status for me. But the one I have always wanted is the Nike x Patta x Parra Air Max 1 - Cherrywood. To get a pair in my size brand new is would cost me between Dh8,000 and Dh 10,000.” Jack Brett
“If I had all the money, I would approach Nike and ask them to do my own Air Force 1, that’s one of my dreams.” Yaseen Benchouche
“There’s nothing out there yet that I’d pay an insane amount for, but I’d love to create my own shoe with Tinker Hatfield and Jordan.” Joshua Cox
“I think I’d buy a defunct footwear brand; I’d like the challenge of reinterpreting a brand’s history and changing options.” Kris Balerite
“I’d stir up a creative collaboration with designers Martin Margiela of the mixed patchwork sneakers, and Yohji Yamamoto.” Hussain Moloobhoy
“If I had all the money in the world, I’d live somewhere where I’d never have to wear shoes again.” Raj Malhotra
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes. Portland is a 260 km drive from Seattle and Emirates offers codeshare flights to Portland with its partner Alaska Airlines.
The car
Hertz (www.hertz.ae) offers compact car rental from about $300 per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.
Parks and accommodation
For information on Crater Lake National Park, visit www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm . Because of the altitude, large parts of the park are closed in winter due to snow. While the park’s summer season is May 22-October 31, typically, the full loop of the Rim Drive is only possible from late July until the end of October. Entry costs $25 per car for a day. For accommodation, see www.travelcraterlake.com. For information on Umpqua Hot Springs, see www.fs.usda.gov and https://soakoregon.com/umpqua-hot-springs/. For Bend, see https://www.visitbend.com/.
