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Cooperation with IAEA will take ‘new form’: Iran – Newspaper

TEHRAN: Iran said on Saturday its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency “will take on a new form”, expressing a desire for a diplomatic solution to resolve concerns over its nuclear programme.

Iran’s 12-day war with Israel last month, sparked by an Israeli bombing campaign that hit military and nuclear sites as well as residential areas, rattled its already shaky relationship with the UN nuclear watchdog.

The attacks began days before a planned meeting between Tehran and Washington aimed at reviving nuclear negotiations, which have since stalled.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday that Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA “has not stopped, but will take on a new form”, after the Islamic republic formally ended cooperation with the UN watchdog in early July.

Iran has blamed the IAEA in part for the June attacks on its nuclear facilities, which Israel says it launched to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon — an ambition Tehran has repeatedly denied.

The United States, which had been in talks with Iran since April 12, joined Israel in carrying out its own strikes on June 22, targeting Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz.

Araghchi said requests to monitor nuclear sites “will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis… taking into account safety and security issues”, and be managed by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

‘Assurances’

In early July, a team of IAEA inspectors left Iran to return to the organisation’s headquarters in Vienna after Tehran suspended cooperation.

The talks were aimed at regulating Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

Before agreeing to any new meeting, “we are examining its timing, its location, its form, its ingredients, the assurances it requires”, said Araghchi, who also serves as Iran’s lead negotiator.

He said that any talks would focus only on Iran’s nuclear activities, not its military capabilities.

“If negotiations are held… the subject of the negotiations will be only nuclear and creating confidence in Iran’s nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions,” he told diplomats in Tehran. “No other issues will be subject to negotiation.”

Araghchi also warned that re-imposing UN sanctions could eliminate Europe’s role in the process.

Enrichment

“Such measures would signify the end of Europe’s role in the Iranian nuclear dossier,” Araghchi said.

A clause in the 2015 nuclear agreement, which US President Donald Trump withdrew from during his first term, allows for UN sanctions to be re-imposed if Iran is found to be in breach of the deal.

Araghchi stressed that any new nuclear deal must uphold Iran’s right under the Non-Proliferation Treaty to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes.

“I would like to emphasise that in any negotiated solution, the rights of the Iranian people on the nuclear issue, including the right to enrichment, must be respected,” he said.

“We will not have any agreement in which enrichment is not included.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at the BRICS summit in Rio on Monday that Moscow would remain a committed ally of Iran and support its nuclear programme. “Russia has technological solutions for uranium depletion and is ready to work with Iran in this field,” Lavrov said, as reported by Russian state news outlet TASS.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2025

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July 13, 2025
Ehtesham, Inam, Zohaib win in Westbury Tennis

The Under-18 Juniors category first-round matches saw remarkable performances in the 21st KC Westbury National Tennis Championship here on Saturday.

Ehtesham Humayun of SNGPL dominated Javed Khan with a 6-1, 6-0 victory while Inam Gul from Peshawar beat Ahsan Ali 6-1, 6-4. Zohaib Afzal (Lahore) outclassed Zaid Ali 6-0, 6-1. Muzzammil Bhund (Hyderabad) overcame Faiz Ilyas while Dhurv Das beat Yahya Haleem 4-6, 2-4.

Muhammad Junaid from Peshawar also cruised past against Zain Noomi 6-4, 6-2. Haziq Arijo bested Ansarullah 7-6, 6-1, and Taimoor Ansari defeated Lareeb Shamsi 6-1, 6-3. Ruhab Faisal emerged victorious over Junaid Mehr from Hyderabad with a 6-3, 6-4 scoreline. Ismail Aftab beat Ahsam Malik 6-3, 7-5.

In the Boys’ Under-14 Singles first round, Majid Ali Bachani (Hyderabad) beat Ahmed Kath 4-1, 4-0. In the second round of the same category, Ansarullah defeated Yahya bin Zain 4-0, 4-0; Zaid Zaman defeated Umar Zaman with the same scoreline; and Rashid Ali Bachani (SNGPL) outplayed Imdad Imran 4-0, 4-0.

In the Boys’ Under-12 Singles first round, Arsh Imran won against Arham Amjab from Peshawar 4-2, 4-2. Rashid Ali Bachani (SNGPL) defeated Usama Ali 4-1, 4-0. Umar Zaman narrowly overcame Asher Bhaila in a tight match 5-3, 3-5, 5-3. Tariq Rafi beat Abdullah Ali 4-2, 5-3, and Raheem Faisal turned the tables against Uzair 2-4, 5-3, 4-0.

In the Men’s Singles first round, Ehtesham Humayun defeated M. Essa Ji with a commanding 8-0 score. Lareeb Shamsi overcame Shahmeer Usman 8-2.

In the Under-10 Singles second round, Shahreem Umar from Lahore defeated M. Usman Zahid 4-0, 4-0.

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July 13, 2025
Amir, Hasan shine in Vitality Blast

Former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir delivered a stellar performance to lead Essex to a comprehensive six-wicket victory over Sussex in their Vitality Blast clash here at Chelmsford on Friday.

Sussex captain Tymal Mills won the toss and opted to bat first, a decision that backfired as the team was bowled out for 145 in 18.2 overs.

Wicketkeeper-batter John Simpson top-scored with an impressive 52 off just 28 balls, laced with four sixes and three fours.

Daniel Hughes also made a useful contribution, scoring 27 from 15 balls with one six and five boundaries.

Danny Lamb added 19 runs, while Tom Alsop and Harrison Ward chipped in with 13 and nine runs respectively.

However, the rest of the batting lineup failed to fire, with seven Sussex batters unable to reach double figures.

Essex’s bowling attack was spearheaded by Mohammad Amir, who returned exceptional figures of 3/16 in his three overs.

He was well supported by Sam Cook, Shane Snater and Simon Harmer, who each picked up two wickets to dismantle the Sussex batting order.

In reply, Essex chased down the 146-run target with ease, reaching 150/4 in just 16.1 overs.

Opener Michael Pepper was the standout performer with the bat, smashing an unbeaten 87 off 47 deliveries, featuring two sixes and 14 boundaries in a dominant display.

He was ably supported by Luke Benkenstein (25) and Charlie Allison (24), while the rest of the batters contributed minimally.

Paul Walter (five), Jordan Cox (four) and Matt Critchley (three) all fell cheaply, but their dismissals had little impact on the outcome.

Sussex’s bowling effort was led by Tymal Mills, who took 2/31 runs in his four overs. Nathan Andrew and Henry Crocombe claimed one wicket each, but Essex comfortably crossed the finish line with nearly four overs to spare.

Clinical Hassan

Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali delivered a match-winning bowling performance to lead Birmingham Bears to a 23-run victory over Worcestershire in a thrilling T20 Vitality Blast fixture at the County Ground in Worcester on Friday.

Worcestershire won the toss and elected to bowl first. Bears, batting first, posted a competitive total of 176 runs before being bowled out in 19.5 overs.

The innings was anchored by Sam Hain, who scored a steady 44 off 35 balls, hitting five boundaries.

George Garton added crucial runs late in the innings with an unbeaten 36 off just 22 deliveries, which included three sixes and a four, while Dan Mousley contributed a quickfire 31 from 17 balls, featuring a six and four boundaries.

Additional support came from Alex Davies (19) and Ed Barnard (23), although the lower order faltered, with Hasan Ali, Tom Latham and Danny Briggs each scoring just one run.

Worcestershire’s bowling attack was led by Ben Dwarshuis, who claimed 3/30 runs in his four overs.

Pakistan’s Khurram Shehzad also made an impact, picking up 2/34 runs in 3.5 overs. Tom Taylor, Adam Finch and Fateh Singh chipped in with a wicket apiece.

Chasing 177, Worcestershire were bowled out for 153 runs in 19.3 overs, falling short despite a valiant half-century from Adam Hose, who scored 51 off 36 balls, including two sixes and five fours.

Gareth Roderick (30) and Isaaq Mohammed (25) provided brief resistance, but the rest of the batting lineup collapsed under pressure, with six batters failing to reach double figures.

Hasan Ali was the standout performer with the ball, finishing with 3/32 in four overs, applying consistent pressure throughout his spell.

Danny Briggs matched his figures with 3/37, while Craig Miles picked up two wickets and Richard Gleeson claimed one.

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July 13, 2025
Lab-grown cheese is coming – but would you eat it?

BBC

In an unassuming building in Stratford, east London, British start-up Better Dairy is making cheese that has never seen an udder, which it argues tastes like the real thing.

It is one of a handful of companies around the world hoping to bring lab-grown cheese to our dinner tables in the next few years.

But there has been a trend away from meat-free foods recently, according to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).

The statutory research organisation says that plant-based cheese sales across the UK declined 25.6% in the first quarter of 2025, while sales of cow’s cheese grew by 3%.

One reason for this, the AHDB tells the BBC, might be because the number of vegans in Britain is small – just 1% of the population (the Vegan Society puts it at 3%), far fewer than the amount of dairy cheese eaters – and has slightly declined lately.

The Vegan Society insists that the meat-free food market remains “competitive” and steady.

Those Vegan Cowboys

Hille van der Kaa touts a “silent revolution”, swapping cheeses people don’t often think about

Other reasons may be concerns about health and price. A recent government survey found that that food being ultra-processed – a key challenge with vegan cheese – was the second-greatest concern for consumers, the first being cost. Plant-based cheese is generally more expensive than cow’s cheese, the AHDB says.

So are these efforts a recipe for success or disaster? Some think the coming years present an opportunity.

In the Netherlands, Those Vegan Cowboys expects to bring its cheeses to the US later this year, and Europe in three to four years due to regulatory hurdles. This is because lab-made cheeses count as a “novel food” and so need EU approval to go on sale.

Its chief executive, Hille van der Kaa, admits the appetite for vegan cheese is low right now, but her company is targeting a “silent revolution” by swapping cheeses people don’t often think about.

“If you buy frozen pizza, you don’t really think of what kind of cheese is on that,” she explains. “So it’s quite easy to swap.”

Meanwhile, French firm Standing Ovation plans on launching in the US next year, and in the UK and Europe in 2027.

And back in Stratford, London-based Better Dairy hasn’t launched its lab-grown cheese yet because it would cost too much right now.

But chief executive Jevan Nagarajah plans to launch in three or four years, when he hopes the price will be closer to those seen in a cheesemonger, before getting it down to the sorts seen in a supermarket.

Jevan Nagarajah sees vegan hard cheeses as having the greatest “quality gap” to the real thing

So does it taste any good?

Better Dairy invited me – a committed carnivore and dairy devotee – to its lab to poke holes in this new cheese.

Currently, the company is only making cheddar because it sees vegan hard cheeses as having the biggest “quality gap” to dairy cheeses. It has made blue cheese, mozzarella and soft cheese, but argues the proteins in dairy don’t make as big a difference in taste.

The process starts with yeast that has been genetically modified to produce casein, the key protein in milk, instead of alcohol. Jevan says this is the same technique used to produce insulin without having to harvest it from pigs.

Other companies also use bacteria or fungi to produce casein.

Once the casein is made through this precision fermentation, it is mixed with plant-based fat and the other components of milk needed for cheese, and then the traditional cheese-making process ensues.

Having tried Better Dairy’s three-month, six-month and 12-month aged cheddars, I can say they tasted closer to the real thing than anything else I’ve tried. The younger cheese was perhaps a bit more rubbery than usual, and the older ones more obviously salty. On a burger, the cheese melted well.

On a burger, Better Dairy’s cheddar was visibly melty

Jevan accepts there’s room to improve. He says the cheese I tried was made in his lab, but in future wants artisanal cheesemakers to use the firm’s non-dairy “milk” in their own labs to improve the taste.

As the company cannot use dairy fats, it has had to “optimise” plant-derived fats to make them taste better.

“If you’ve experienced plant-based cheeses, a lot of them have off flavours, and typically it comes from trying to use nut-based or coconut fats – and they impart flavours that aren’t normally in there,” Better Dairy scientist Kate Royle says.

Meanwhile, Those Vegan Cowboys is still focusing on easy-to-replace cheeses, like those on pizzas and burgers, while Standing Ovation says its casein can make a range of cheeses including camembert.

Will these new cheeses find their match?

It’ll be a tall order. Of those who bought vegan cheese on the market in the past year, 40% did not buy it again, according to an AHDB survey – suggesting taste may be a turn-off.

Damian Watson from the Vegan Society points out that resemblance to the real thing may not even be a good thing.

“Some vegans want the taste and texture of their food to be like meat, fish or dairy, and others want something completely different,” he tells me.

And Judith Bryans, chief executive of industry body Dairy UK, thinks the status quo will remain strong.

“There’s no evidence to suggest that the addition of lab-grown products would take away from the existing market, and it remains to be seen where these products would fit in from a consumer perception and price point of view,” she tells the BBC.

Studio Lazareff/Antoine Repesse

Yvan Chardonnens hopes to launch his cheeses in the UK in 2027

But both Better Dairy and Those Vegan Cowboys tout partnerships with cheese producers to scale up production and keep costs down, while Standing Ovation has already struck a partnership with Bel (makers of BabyBel).

Standing Ovation’s CEO Yvan Chardonnens characterises the recent unpopularity as a first wave in the vegan “analogues” of cheese faltering because of quality, while he hopes that will improve in the next phase.

Besides the current concerns about a shrinking vegan market, taste, quality and price, the issue of ultra-processed foods is one that these companies may have to grapple with.

They argue a lack of lactose, no cholesterol and lower amounts of saturated fats in lab-made cheese can boost its health benefits – and that any cheese is processed.

Precision fermentation may also allow producers to strip out many ultra-processed elements of current vegan cheeses.

Hille suggests it’s a question of perception. People have a “romanticised view” of dairy farming, she says, despite it now being “totally industrialised” – a point backed by AHDB polling, which found 71% of consumers see dairy as natural.

“I wouldn’t say that’s really a traditional, natural type of food,” Hille argues.

“We do have an important task to show people how cheese is made nowadays.”

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July 13, 2025
Fazl floats change in KP, but only from within PTI

Fazl floats change in KP, but only from within PTI – Daily Times