US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday said Iran had "engaged in an escalating series of threatening actions and statements in recent weeks" and that "any attacks by them or their proxies against US interests or citizens will be answered with a swift and decisive US response."
"Iran’s 40 years of killing American soldiers, attacking American facilities and taking American hostages is a constant reminder that we must defend ourselves," Mr Pompeo said, again stressing that the US did not seek war.
He urged Tehran to seek "a path to a prosperous future through de-escalation to modify the regime’s behaviour".
US National Security Adviser John Bolton convened a meeting at CIA headquarters last week with the Trump administration's top intelligence, diplomatic and military advisers to discuss Iran, NBC reported on Thursday.
The meeting was on April 29, before a US aircraft carrier and bombers were sent to the region after intelligence identified possible Iranian plots against US interests and troops in the region.
The Trump administration is seeking diplomatic engagement with Tehran to try to negotiate a new nuclear deal and address Iran’s regional policies, even as the US increases economic and military pressure.
"What I’d like to see with Iran, I’d like to see them call me," US President Donald Trump said on Thursday, in his second call for direct engagement with Iran in less than 24 hours.
“I look forward to some day meeting with the leaders of Iran to work out an agreement and, very importantly, taking steps to give Iran the future it deserves,” he said on Wednesday.
That same day he announced new US sanctions on Iran's steel, aluminium and copper exports.
The president’s aide on the Middle East, Victoria Coates, said Mr Trump’s offer to talk was sincere and “it is his hope that they will accept”.
The US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln crossed the Suez Canal on its way to the Gulf waters on Thursday.
Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, said that by increasing its presence the US was trying to deter Tehran and use “coercive diplomacy to bring Iran back to the table”.
"Washington's hardening of its military assets in the region course-corrects from a period in 2018 where there were zero carriers in the Gulf region," Mr Ben Taleblu told The National.
The strategy was used by the Bush and Obama administrations and led to nuclear talks in Geneva in 2008, and a secret back channel mediated by Oman in 2011.
Those efforts culminated, under Mr Obama, in the nuclear deal of 2015.
"I would not be surprised to see some diplomatic engagement between the Trump administration and Tehran,” said Suzanne Maloney, deputy director of the foreign policy programme at the Brookings Institution.
“That is the preferred outcome for the president himself and it's clear from [Iranian] Foreign Minister Javad Zarif's recent round of US outreach that Tehran is prepared to test the waters, if only in a very preliminary fashion, to see if dialogue could assuage Trump's appetite for economic pressure."
But Ms Maloney was dubious about the chances of such engagement bringing about a tenable breakthrough on the 12 demands that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo laid out for Iran last year.
They include Tehran curbing its aggressive regional stance and domestic repression.
“The mutual mistrust and animosity is simply too high and I see no evidence that this administration is committed to devising a real framework for sustained, complex negotiations,” Ms Maloney said.
Last September, Mr Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani were close to meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Aaron Miller of the Woodrow Wilson Centre said a meeting between the two “would fall in the category of a summit of the vanities”.
The US president “loves high-visibility, centre-stage displays”, Mr Miller said, but the better path would be for back-channel talks on decreasing the risk of conflict, to begin with.
But this is at odds with the direction National Security Adviser John Bolton and Mr Pompeo are taking, Mr Miller said.
Iran's policymakers, however, could also be trying to wait out the Trump administration.
Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, said Tehran “is trying to have it both ways at this point”.
"Mr Zarif is making public overtures to President Trump while also playing the long game in not doing anything to fundamentally jeopardise the nuclear deal, in the event a Democrat were to win the US presidential elections in November 2020," Mr Brodsky told The National.
Waiting out the Trump administration might not necessarily bring the fundamental policy shift that Iran desires, even if the Democrats win the presidency, he said.
“It is untenable for a Democrat in a general election to be advocating rejoining the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action without any conditions,” Mr Brodsky said.
He said that the agreement would be stale by October 18, 2020 with the arms embargo on Iran expiring under the Security Council resolution endorsing the deal.
Mr Brodsky said that offering unilateral concessions to Iran on the campaign trail “will be deeply unpopular in states like Florida”.
Iran will be holding its elections in the summer of 2021, and it is unclear if Mr Rouhani or Mr Zarif will still be in office.
Brian Hook, the US special representative on Iran, is ignoring Mr Zarif’s statements.
“The real foreign minister of Iran is [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander] Qassem Suleimani," Mr Hook said on Wednesday.
"We do not fall into the trap of paying attention to what Mr Zarif says."
UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
Volunteers offer workers a lifeline
Community volunteers have swung into action delivering food packages and toiletries to the men.
When provisions are distributed, the men line up in long queues for packets of rice, flour, sugar, salt, pulses, milk, biscuits, shaving kits, soap and telecom cards.
Volunteers from St Mary’s Catholic Church said some workers came to the church to pray for their families and ask for assistance.
Boxes packed with essential food items were distributed to workers in the Dubai Investments Park and Ras Al Khaimah camps last week. Workers at the Sonapur camp asked for Dh1,600 towards their gas bill.
“Especially in this year of tolerance we consider ourselves privileged to be able to lend a helping hand to our needy brothers in the Actco camp," Father Lennie Connully, parish priest of St Mary’s.
Workers spoke of their helplessness, seeing children’s marriages cancelled because of lack of money going home. Others told of their misery of being unable to return home when a parent died.
“More than daily food, they are worried about not sending money home for their family,” said Kusum Dutta, a volunteer who works with the Indian consulate.
Tank warfare
Lt Gen Erik Petersen, deputy chief of programs, US Army, has argued it took a “three decade holiday” on modernising tanks.
“There clearly remains a significant armoured heavy ground manoeuvre threat in this world and maintaining a world class armoured force is absolutely vital,” the general said in London last week.
“We are developing next generation capabilities to compete with and deter adversaries to prevent opportunism or miscalculation, and, if necessary, defeat any foe decisively.”
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
RESULT
Bournemouth 0 Southampton 3 (Djenepo (37', Redmond 45' 1, 59')
Man of the match Nathan Redmond (Southampton)
Mobile phone packages comparison
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:
- Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
- Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
- Al Towayya in Al Ain
- NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
- Bareen International Hospital
- NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
- NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
- NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%20four-cyl%20turbo%20%2B%20mild%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E204hp%20at%205%2C800rpm%20%2B23hp%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C800rpm%20%2B205Nm%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7.3L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2FDecember%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh205%2C000%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
The%C2%A0specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual%20synchronous%20electric%20motors%20%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E646hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E830Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETwo-speed%20auto%20(rear%20axle)%3B%20single-speed%20auto%20(front)%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh552%2C311%3B%20Dh660%2C408%20(as%20tested)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
