TEHRAN - Instead of making interventionist remarks and expressing “insincere concern” about women in Iran, Tehran on Thursday urged the Western nations to be concerned about a wave of strikes that would harm their health sector.

Nasser Kanaani, the spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said the United States, Britain, and Germany had better be concerned about strikes by their medical professionals, Nasser Kanaani, the spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said in an X post on Thursday.

“Instead of interventionist & biased remarks & expressing insincere concern over Iranian women & girls, you’d better be concerned about US, German and UK healthcare personnel, patients & tackle their situation,” Kanaani said in an X post.

In addition, Kanaani included a Reuters news report with its message, which said that on Wednesday more than 75,000 union workers at Kaiser Permanente began the largest three-day healthcare worker walkout in U.S. history.

The work stoppage, which affects nurses, pharmacists, and lab technicians in five U.S. states and Washington, could have an effect on over 13 million people. 

They are requesting substantial pay raises as well as changes to the understaffing in healthcare institutions that date back to the Covid-19 outbreak.

For the ninth time since March, junior physicians and consultants in England also went on a three-day strike in order to seek better pay and working conditions.

Also on Monday, tens of thousands of German physicians went on strike against increased red tape and expenses.

The remarks by Kanaani came after Germany’s foreign minister expressed worry over the health of an Iranian teenager who has been hospitalized after fainting in a Tehran subway station.

While the relevant officials and the family and friends of the schoolgirl, Armita Geravand, emphasize that she has passed out without any physical clash with anybody, Western media outlets are spreading rumors that she has been hit because of violating the hijab law.

Iran accuses UK of interfering with satellite launch

Also, Kanaani slammed the UK Foreign Office for meddling with the recent launch of Iran’s Noor-III satellite.

Iran has an unalienable right to advance its scientific and research endeavors, especially in the realm of aerospace, according to a statement issued by Kanaani on Wednesday.

Based on the Foreign Ministry website, Kanaani stated that such meddlesome statements, which demonstrate the British regime’s hatred of Iran, will not impede the Iranian nation’s desire to make scientific and technical development.

Kanaani pointed out that the British government has a history of taking such aggressive positions toward the Iranian people.

The spokesman went on to add that despite various interpretations that result from the unilateral goals of some countries, Iran’s scientific and practical operations in the sphere of space exploration are not constrained by international law.

Iran reserves the right to use peaceful technologies for scientific development and research in accordance with international law and regulations, Kanaani emphasized. 

“Iran will not wait for the opinions of some nations that attempt to impose their will and unilateral actions on others in this way,” the spokesman said.

The UK Foreign Office claimed that the Qased satellite carrier used “technology essential for the development of a long-range ballistic missile system,” before repeating the West’s allegations that Iran’s missile work was geared toward non-conventional purposes.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force successfully launched the domestic imaging satellite Noor-III (Light-3) into orbit in late September, prompting London to issue a statement.

The satellite was sent into orbit 450 kilometers (280 miles) above the surface of the Earth by satellite carrier Qased (Messenger).

Iranian Minister of Communications and Information Technology Issa Zarepour was buoyed by the successful launch.

“With the efforts of IRGC Aerospace Force specialists, a few moments ago, the Nour-3 imaging satellite was successfully placed into a 450 km orbit of the earth with the Iranian Qased satellite carrier.” Zarepour said via X.

He added, “I congratulate all Iranian people, those active in the country’s space industry, and the IRGC’s space experts for this success. God willing, this year will be a fruitful year for the country’s space industry.” 

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani declared last month that at least two domestically produced satellites would be launched into space in the current Iranian year, which will end on March 19, 2024.

“We are involved in the development and launch of satellites. Under our plan, we will have 2 to 3 satellite launches this year, something we hope to be successful,” Ashtiani said.

Iran has made a great breakthrough in its civilian space program despite Western restrictions placed on the industry recently.

Iran is among the world’s top 10 countries capable of developing and launching satellites.