Late March is happy season in Iran as the festival of Nowruz marks the end of winter and the start of a new calendar year. But the government of reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian had little to celebrate even as it marked its first Nowruz, having received blow after blow last month.
His influential vice president for strategic affairs, Mohammad Javad Zarif, was forced to resign. His finance minister, Abdolnaser Hemmati, was impeached by the hardliner-dominated Parliament. He was unable to push forward key promises he made about internet freedom, since he doesn’t control the committee that decides on the matter.
But perhaps most importantly, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had declared opposition to negotiating with the US, which Dr Pezeshkian and his political camp saw as key to the country's gravest problems. Without talking to Washington, how could Tehran get it to lift a range of sanctions and move towards resolving the country’s economic challenges?
Iran's economic malaise was visible throughout the harsh winter. It was forced to undergo unprecedented electricity cuts and an organised shutdown of businesses. The exchange rate of the rial to the US dollar, which is usually a reliable indicator of how the economy is faring, told a sorry tale about Dr Pezeshkian's time in office.
It was at about 600,000 rials to a dollar when Dr Pezeshkian was elected last summer. In recent weeks, it went as high as one million rials. Many Iranians have called on the President to resign since he has been unable to realise any of his big election campaign promises.
But Mr Khamenei’s volte-face, which launched a new phase of US-Iran talks, has now given the Pezeshkian administration a new confidence. One could even argue that the negotiations have extended a new lease of life to it.
One reason for this is that even the mere fact of the talks taking place has given an economic boost to the country. In recent days, the rial's value has improved marginally, with more appreciation expected in the near future.
If this is the outcome of one round of talks, it’s not hard to see them having an even grander impact should they actually succeed. Even a partial lifting of the sanctions could significantly boost the Iranian economy.
Dr Pezeshkian is also benefiting from the establishment's consensus on the negotiations.
Of course, talking to the US remains controversial in the Iranian political landscape. Certain hardliners continue to attack the negotiating team, especially as Iran comes close to offering concessions to secure a deal. The notoriously hardline state TV riles against them, as does an occasional editorial in the daily Kayhan. In the north-eastern city of Mashhad, the arch-conservative Friday prayer leader Ahmad Alamolhoda has spoken out against the talks as hurting “national pride”.
But these voices of dissent are relatively muted. The political debate is nowhere as heated as it was during the lead-up to the 2015 nuclear deal when former president Hassan Rouhani and his then top diplomat, Mr Zarif, became the target of attacks by powerful conservative factions such as those leading the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
This time around, much of the establishment favours engagement. Even outlets affiliated to the IRGC, such as the daily Vatan-e Emrooz now speak relatively approvingly of them.
Unlike Mr Rouhani, who was a polarising figure with decades of experience in the establishment's security echelons, Dr Pezeshkian is a more consensual politician who has promised to lead a government of “national reconciliation”.
On Sunday, when Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reported on his Muscat talks to the Cabinet, Dr Pezeshkian thanked Mr Khamenei for having approved the talks. He has tried not to politicise the process and it helps that Mr Araghchi, too, gives the impression of being a calm diplomat compared to the politically ambitious Mr Zarif.
Even some conservative commentators have praised Dr Pezeshkian’s posture on the talks. The conservative activist Abdollah Ganji compared him favourably to Mr Rouhani for two reasons. First, for not harshly attacking critics of the talks as the previous president did. Second, for not creating high expectations about the talks. Abbas Salimi Namin, a conservative journalist, praised Dr Pezehksian for “not trying to make a political show out of the negotiations”.
All of this sits well with Dr Pezeshkian’s non-confrontational approach and his attempt to lead a big tent. This approach was heavily questioned when Parliament dismissed Mr Hemmati, the finance minister, last month. But conservative support for the nuclear talks as well as more controversial measures, such as Dr Pezeshkian’s refusal to implement a draconian hijab bill, gives new credence to it.
Buoyed by these more favourable winds, Dr Pezeshkian is set to soon introduce Ali Tayebnia as his new finance minister, pending parliamentary approval. Mr Tayebnia, who was also Mr Rouhani’s finance minister from 2013 to 2017, is a known economist and one of Iran’s best-known technocrats. His joining the government will give it new verve.
Dr Pezeshkian has also filled another important vacancy lately. Mohsen Esmaeili, a law professor at the University of Tehran and a former member of the Assembly of Experts and the Guardian Council, was appointed Dr Pezeshkian’s Vice President for Strategic and Parliamentary Affairs. He thus replaced both Mr Zarif and Shahram Dabiri, Dr Pezeshkian’s parliamentary liaison, who had to resign after he went on an expensive private trip to Argentina and Antarctica. Mr Esmaeili is a weighty addition to the cabinet: a respected jurist and the only non-cleric to ever be elected to the Assembly of Experts.
Still, Dr Pezeshkian’s reversal of fortunes shouldn’t be exaggerated. In all cases, the president, doesn't make any of Iran’s most important decisions. All important calls are made either by Mr Khamenei or the National Security Council.
There is also no guarantee that talks with the US will continue to go well, and their collapse could spell disaster for the President, especially if Iran finds itself embroiled in military conflict. His entire gambit has been to make peace with the rest of the region and the world. He is not meant to be a wartime president.
For now, Dr Pezeshkian enjoys calmer political waters. But if he wants to leave his mark, he will need a lot more than that.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein The Far East, Palestine, and Spain, 1922 – 1923
Editor Ze’ev Rosenkranz
Princeton
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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Brighton 1
Gross (50' pen)
Tottenham 1
Kane (48)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results
3pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,400m, Winner: Lancienegaboulevard, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Fawzi Nass (trainer).
3.35pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Turf) 1,600m, Winner: Al Mukhtar Star, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
4.10pm: Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: Gundogdu, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.45pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (T) 1,200m, Winner: Speedy Move, Sean Kirrane, Satish Seemar.
5.20pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Moqarrar, Dane O’Neill, Erwan Charpy.
5.55pm: Handicap Dh175,000 (T) 1,800m, Winner: Dolman, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
How it works
A $10 hand-powered LED light and battery bank
Device is operated by hand cranking it at any time during the day or night
The charge is stored inside a battery
The ratio is that for every minute you crank, it provides 10 minutes light on the brightest mode
A full hand wound charge is of 16.5minutes
This gives 1.1 hours of light on high mode or 2.5 hours of light on low mode
When more light is needed, it can be recharged by winding again
The larger version costs between $18-20 and generates more than 15 hours of light with a 45-minute charge
No limit on how many times you can charge
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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MATCH INFO
Inter Milan v Juventus
Saturday, 10.45pm (UAE)
Watch the match on BeIN Sports
How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.
The biog
Favourite book: You Are the Placebo – Making your mind matter, by Dr Joe Dispenza
Hobby: Running and watching Welsh rugby
Travel destination: Cyprus in the summer
Life goals: To be an aspirational and passionate University educator, enjoy life, be healthy and be the best dad possible.
Top goalscorers in Europe
34 goals - Robert Lewandowski (68 points)
34 - Ciro Immobile (68)
31 - Cristiano Ronaldo (62)
28 - Timo Werner (56)
25 - Lionel Messi (50)
*29 - Erling Haaland (50)
23 - Romelu Lukaku (46)
23 - Jamie Vardy (46)
*NOTE: Haaland's goals for Salzburg count for 1.5 points per goal. Goals for Dortmund count for two points per goal.
The biog
Hobbies: Writing and running
Favourite sport: beach volleyball
Favourite holiday destinations: Turkey and Puerto Rico
The permutations for UAE going to the 2018 World Cup finals
To qualify automatically
UAE must beat Iraq.
Australia must lose in Japan and at home to Thailand, with their losing margins and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
Saudi Arabia must lose to Japan, with their losing margin and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
To finish third and go into a play-off with the other third-placed AFC side for a chance to reach the inter-confederation play-off match
UAE must beat Iraq.
Saudi Arabia must lose to Japan, with their losing margin and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
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.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
