Iran rejects US negotiations under threats, says ‘do whatever the hell you want’
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Tehran: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ruled out negotiations with the United States under pressure, responding to US President Donald Trump’s call for talks on a new nuclear deal.
“It is unacceptable for us that they (the US) give orders and make threats. I won’t even negotiate with you. Do whatever the hell you want,” Pezeshkian was quoted as saying by Iranian state media on Tuesday.
His remarks come after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared on Saturday that Tehran would not be forced into negotiations. This followed Trump’s statement that he had sent a letter urging Iran to engage in talks.
While Trump has expressed willingness for a deal, he has reinstated the “maximum pressure” strategy aimed at isolating Iran economically and reducing its oil exports. In an interview with Fox Business, he said Iran could be dealt with “militarily, or you make a deal” to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Iran maintains that it does not seek nuclear weapons but has significantly ramped up uranium enrichment. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned that Iran is enriching uranium up to 60 per cent purity, nearing weapons-grade levels.
Since 2019, Iran has accelerated its nuclear programme, a year after Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement and reimposed sanctions that have severely impacted Iran’s economy.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
