Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejects US stance on uranium enrichment
Tehran, May 20 (AP): Iran's supreme leader on Tuesday pushed back against US criticism of the country's nuclear programme, saying that Tehran won't seek permission from anyone to enrich uranium and calling American statements “nonsense”.
“They say, We won't allow Iran to enrich uranium. That's way out of line,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said during a memorial for late President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash last year.
“No one in Iran is waiting for their permission. The Islamic Republic has its own policies and direction — and it will stick to them.”
Khamenei's remarks came as indirect talks between Iran and the US reportedly continue, though he expressed doubt about their outcome.
“Yes, indirect negotiations were held during Raisi's time too, just like now,” he said. “But they didn't go anywhere — and we don't expect much from the current ones either. Who knows what will happen.”
His comments reflect Tehran's growing frustration with the stalled nuclear discussions, as well as the broader tensions that have defined US-Iran relations in recent years.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told the state-run IRNA news agency that “no definitive decision has been made about the next round of negotiations”, adding that “the Islamic Republic of Iran is reviewing the matter while considering the US side's contradictory and constantly changing positions”.
IRNA also reported that Kazem Gharibabadi, the deputy foreign minister, said that Tehran had received a proposal regarding the next round of indirect talks with Washington and was currently reviewing it.
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Odisha hospital fire toll rises to 12 as 2 more succumb to burn injuries
Bhubaneswar/Cuttack (Odisha) (PTI): The toll in the devastating fire at government-run SCB Medical College and Hospital here climbed to 12 after two more patients succumbed to their burn injuries on Tuesday.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling informed the assembly that a total of 12 people died in the fire incident that took place at the trauma care ICU of the hospital early on Monday.
Terming it a "very sad accident", the minister said, "As soon as the fire broke out, the hospital staffers worked on a war footing to immediately shift 23 patients from the first floor ICU and adjacent wards of the trauma care centre. All of them were shifted to other ICUs and wards."
Seven patients of the trauma care centre died due to their critical condition while five other critically ill patients died while undergoing treatment in other wards and ICUs.
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Eleven medical staffers engaged in the rescue of the patients were also injured in the fire. The injured staff members are undergoing treatment and their lives are out of danger, he said.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, Naveen Patnaik, visited the hospital on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also taken stock of the situation.
The state government has constituted a judicial panel to probe the incident, and also formed a fact-finding team headed by Development Commissioner D K Singh that visited the hospital. The team will submit a report to the chief secretary.
The blaze had erupted around 2.48 am on the first floor and is suspected to have been triggered by an electrical short circuit.
SCB Medical College and Hospital is the state's premier health facility, with nearly 2,700 beds and it serves thousands daily.
