Iran says a recent deal that paved the way for UN nuclear inspectors to visit is “null and void” after the country was placed under sanctions.
The deal had been agreed in Egypt last month between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency, which wants to check Tehran is not developing a nuclear weapons programme. The IAEA says Iran has blocked access for years.
Although the terms were vague, the IAEA said the Cairo deal included practical arrangements to “resume inspection activities in Iran”. But it has since been derailed after Britain, France and Germany pushed through a motion at the UN, restoring sanctions on Iran for flouting limits on its nuclear activities.
Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said while meeting a counterpart from Iraq on Monday that the Cairo agreement had been cancelled after the three European states triggered the UN sanctions, in a process referred to as “snapback”.
Iran had “announced after the Cairo agreement that if they activate the snapback, the agreement will be null and void, and that’s what happened,” Mr Larijani said, according to state media. “If the IAEA has a proposal for co-operation, it should request it to be reviewed by a committee in the National Security Council.”
Iran had agreed in 2015 to limit activities such as uranium enrichment that could be part of developing a nuclear bomb – although it insists it has no such plans. In return, world powers agreed to lift sanctions.
But Iran started enriching uranium beyond those limits after US President Donald Trump quit the agreement in 2018. Now, the European powers say Iran’s stockpile of enriched nuclear fuel is worryingly large and “entirely outside of IAEA monitoring”.
Fears over Iran’s ambitions spiralled into a 12-day Middle East air war in June as Israel attacked its nuclear sites and assassinated senior figures. The US entered the war with a bombing of a key Iranian bunker, before a ceasefire was declared.
Mr Trump maintains the bombing dealt a serious blow to Iran’s nuclear capabilities. But the extent of the damage remains unclear and Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei took to social media to mock Mr Trump on Monday.
“The US President boasts that they’ve bombed and destroyed Iran’s nuclear industry,” he said. “Very well, in your dreams!”.
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate’s increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5