Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will look on from the sidelines when Iran's high-stakes nuclear negotiations with the United States and five other world powers enter a critical phase next week.
He has been unceremoniously shut out of the process by Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who will instead take credit for any face-saving breakthrough that would ease choking western sanctions.
Reflecting the president's frustration, media outlets close to him have been sniping at Tehran's handling of the negotiations, which opened in Istanbul last month after a long hiatus and will resume in Baghdad on Wednesday.
Websites linked to his conservative opponents have hit back hard, with one accusing him of trying to sabotage the talks because he is not involved.
This factional in-fighting in Tehran over the negotiations could potentially block an agreement, some experts fear.
"Ahmadinejad is expected to… [try to] find a way to torpedo a possible agreement that may result from the Baghdad talks," an analysis carried by the American Iranian Council (AIC), a US-based think tank, warned last week.
Equally, the authors, Hooshang Amirahmadi and Shahir Shahidsaless, cautioned that the Baghdad talks could be de-railed if Washington, misled by Iran's calls for "crippling sanctions" to be lifted, becomes over-confident and demands an end to uranium enrichment on Iranian soil.
Other Iran specialists believe Mr Ahmadinejad, whose supporters were trounced by Khamenei loyalists in recent parliamentary elections, will retreat on the nuclear front while trying to bolster his standing on domestic issues.
But he is not doing so quietly.
This week one of his closest allies and top press adviser, Ali Akbar Javanfekr, criticised Iran's approach to the nuclear talks, arguing Tehran's negotiating position is being undermined by some officials and politicians repeatedly for calling for western sanctions to be lifted.
He viewed this as a tactical mistake because it suggests Iran is vulnerable to sanctions, which Mr Ahmadinejad insists are having no impact.
"Due to the treacherous behaviour of some figures and currents at home, we have reached a point that the country's strong and independent economy is tied up to the not-so-important talks in Istanbul," Mr Javanfekr wrote in Iran, a government daily he manages, on Monday.
Mr Ahmadinejad's opponents accuse him of sour grapes.
"Many experts believe this administration's actions are designed to make the [nuclear] negotiations … fail because they are being led by the Revolution's Leader [Ayatollah Khamenei] while the administration is sidelined," Baztab, a conservative news website, declared this month.
Baztab recommended that Mr Ahmadinejad should either be given a "serious warning" not to disturb the process, or that he should be brought into it.
Whether Mr Khamenei has already delivered such a warning is unclear, but it is telling that the president has not criticised the talks directly, leaving that to aides such as Mr Javanfekr.
The nuclear file has always been guarded by Mr Khamenei, but the Iranian president thrust himself to the fore in past negotiations, which he supported. He viewed a deal that would defend Iran's atomic interests while easing tensions with the West as a glittering prize that he would deliver to the Iranian people.
Many Iran analysts believe Mr Ahmadinejad has neither the muscle nor the will to scupper the negotiations because they have the vital imprimatur of Mr Khamenei, who easily has the upper hand in their protracted power struggle.
The ayatollah recently conferred on Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, the title of "personal representative of the Supreme Leader".
"I don't believe Ahmadinejad can derail the negotiations. Khamenei and his supporters want a deal, provided there is a face-saving formula for them," said Muhammad Sahimi, an Iran expert at the University of Southern California.
Mr Khamenei's camp portrayed the Istanbul meeting as a victory against a US-led West that is finally coming to its senses. His supporters insist Iran is in the stronger position and that its adversaries will have to compromise, warning that the talks will collapse unless sanctions are eased.
Western powers, they add, now accept Tehran's right to enrich uranium because they resumed talks while Iran's centrifuges were still spinning in contravention of UN Security Council resolutions.
The negotiations have also caused the "Zionists anguish" by thwarting Israel's attempts to drag its western friends into a new war, "Iran's hardline Siyasat-e Ruz daily, proclaimed this month.
Iran insists its nuclear programme is solely peaceful, rejecting western accusations it is seeking a weapons capability.
Farideh Farhi, an Iran specialist at the University of Hawaii, doubted Mr Ahmadinejad will try to undermine the nuclear negotiations. "A consensus has developed in Iran to pursue talks. Ahmadinejad is part of that consensus and being side-lined is not sufficient to break the consensus."
Ms Farhi added that he is "in any case fully occupied in debates regarding the implementation of the second phase" of his controversial subsidy reform programme.
Mr Ahmadinejad, on his 100th provincial tour, has in recent days been visiting north-eastern Iran where he managed to draw large crowds.
"This has always been his idea, that even when he's under fire at home, he has the support of the people," said Scott Lucas, an Iran expert at Birmingham University in England.
mtheodoulou@thenational.ae
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlmouneer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dr%20Noha%20Khater%20and%20Rania%20Kadry%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEgypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E120%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBootstrapped%2C%20with%20support%20from%20Insead%20and%20Egyptian%20government%2C%20seed%20round%20of%20%3Cbr%3E%243.6%20million%20led%20by%20Global%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Destroyer
Director: Karyn Kusama
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan
Rating: 3/5
UAE release: January 31
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
The%20specs
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Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
Fireball
Moscow claimed it hit the largest military fuel storage facility in Ukraine, triggering a huge fireball at the site.
A plume of black smoke rose from a fuel storage facility in the village of Kalynivka outside Kyiv on Friday after Russia said it had destroyed the military site with Kalibr cruise missiles.
"On the evening of March 24, Kalibr high-precision sea-based cruise missiles attacked a fuel base in the village of Kalynivka near Kyiv," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.
Ukraine confirmed the strike, saying the village some 40 kilometres south-west of Kyiv was targeted.
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
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).
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
Virtuzone GCC Sixes
Date and venue Friday and Saturday, ICC Academy, Dubai Sports City
Time Matches start at 9am
Groups
A Blighty Ducks, Darjeeling Colts, Darjeeling Social, Dubai Wombats; B Darjeeling Veterans, Kuwait Casuals, Loose Cannons, Savannah Lions; C Awali Taverners, Darjeeling, Dromedary, Darjeeling Good Eggs
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed