Iranian security officer shot dead by unidentified gunmen in southeast
Iranian media reported that a security officer was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in the southeastern city of Iranshahr.
Iranian media reported that a security officer was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in the southeastern city of Iranshahr.
According to Fars news agency, the victim, identified as Mohammad (Javad) Siahani, was killed late Saturday when assailants opened fire on his vehicle along the Bampour–Delgan road. The attackers were reportedly traveling in an unmarked Peugeot sedan.
Authorities said police and security forces have launched an investigation into the incident, which marks the latest in a series of armed attacks targeting security personnel in Sistan-Baluchestan province, a region long plagued by militant and criminal violence.
Authorities said police and security forces have launched an investigation into the incident, which marks the latest in a series of armed attacks targeting security personnel in Sistan-Baluchestan province, a region long plagued by militant and criminal violence.
On Saturday, two members of the Revolutionary Guard’s Basij paramilitary forces were killed in an armed attack on the Khash–Zahedan road.
In September, Reza Azarkish, a local Basij militia member, was shot dead in Iranshahr. Earlier in the month, Iraj Shams Askani, a member of the Revolutionary Guards, was gunned down by Jaish ul-Adl in the border town of Rask.
Last month, Parviz Kadkhodaei, a local Basij commander in Nikshahr, was killed in a separate assault. Prominent tribal leader Mullah Kamal Salahi-zehi was also killed in October when unidentified gunmen opened fire on his vehicle in Iranshahr.
The province, bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan, has long been the scene of attacks by Sunni insurgent groups that Tehran says are backed by foreign intelligence services.
Speaking during a visit to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Pezeshkian said Tehran’s nuclear drive is intended to “meet the essential needs of the people and enhance national welfare.”
He said that while the destructive potential of nuclear technology is well known, “only a fraction of its applications relate to weapons,” and the rest serves medicine, agriculture, and industry.
The president’s remarks come amid heightened tensions with the West over Iran’s nuclear activity following the reimposition of UN sanctions and renewed scrutiny by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Pezeshkian said Iran’s nuclear scientists are working on the production of radiopharmaceuticals and medical isotopes, calling their efforts “a form of scientific jihad and sincere service to the nation.”
He rejected Western accusations that Iran seeks to develop nuclear arms, saying that “building a nuclear weapon is not on our agenda and they know this well.”
Instead, he accused global powers of using false claims to block Iran’s technological independence and maintain control over high-tech industries and markets.
Pezeshkian also criticized what he called the waste of national resources through excessive fossil fuel consumption and urged scientists to focus on clean technologies and renewable energy.
“We burn millions of barrels of oil and gas daily and ignore the potential of science to create added value,” he said, adding that this neglect fuels environmental damage and economic dependency.
The president vowed full government support for advancing the country’s peaceful nuclear program, saying that Iran must strengthen its position in the global market for radiopharmaceuticals and other nuclear-related technologies.
“With careful planning and the efforts of our scientists, we can expand our share of the international market,” he said.
Iran plans eight new reactors
Iran plans to build eight new nuclear power plants in cooperation with Russia as part of a long-term strategy to expand its nuclear energy capacity, Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), said on Sunday.
Eslami said the new facilities would be located along the country’s northern and southern coasts.
He told reporters that the projects are part of a roadmap to generate 20,000 megawatts of nuclear power by 2041.
Eslami said four of the planned reactors would be built in Bushehr -- home to Iran’s existing nuclear plant -- and four elsewhere, with site details to be announced later.
He added that Iran is also pursuing domestic projects, including a power plant in Darkhoveyn and a desalination project in Bushehr, aimed at addressing electricity and water shortages.
He pointed out that the fatwa by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei against nuclear weapons has strong Shia jurisprudential foundations.
Larijani, a former senior judiciary official who also served as a top adviser to the Supreme Leader, added that he supports the expansion of Iran’s nuclear capabilities, framing them as a deterrent and emphasizing the country’s decision not to weaponize.
He also voiced sharp criticism of the 2015 nuclear deal, saying the so-called “diplomacy doctrine” of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) had led Iran to “distress and reversed courage.”
Larijani, speaking at a conference examining the thoughts of Ali Khamenei, said that the JCPOA doctrine -- based on trading rights for concessions -- was akin to surrendering part of Iran’s rights in order to preserve others, and he invoked Iran’s war-era ethos of resisting aggressors.
Larijani’s comments reflect a nuanced position often heard from Tehran: while Iran signals that it remains technically close to nuclear weapon capability, it continues to assert that its policy remains peaceful and that the decision not to build such weapons stands.
The remarks come amid international scrutiny of Iran’s nuclear program, where questions remain over enrichment levels and stockpiles, and where the authenticity and legal force of Khamenei’s so-called fatwa have been contested by analysts.
International experts say the Iranian stance complicates diplomatic efforts, as Tehran’s acknowledgement of capability but insistence on conditional restraint leaves room for ambiguity.
Critics argue this could be designed to serve both as deterrence and diplomatic leverage.
The recent confrontation in June had shattered long-standing assumptions about Israel’s military power, Saeed Khatibzadeh said.
“The myth of Israel’s invincibility collapsed after Iran’s response,” he added, describing Tehran’s military action as a turning point that proved Iran’s capacity to retaliate.
Earlier this year, the United States held five rounds of negotiations with Tehran over its disputed nuclear program under a 60-day deadline set by President Donald Trump.
When no agreement was reached by the 61st day, on June 13, Israel launched a surprise military offensive, followed by US strikes on June 22 targeting key nuclear facilities in Isfahan, Natanz, and Fordow.
“Iran has no choice but to secure a decisive victory against the aggressor,” Khatibzadeh said, arguing that any attack on Iran would be met with a response aimed at ensuring that “the aggressor will undoubtedly regret its decision.”
‘We are peace-seeking, but we fight well’
Iran does not seek confrontation but will not hesitate to defend itself, Khatibzadeh said. “We are a peace-seeking people, but if war is imposed on us, we fight well… We never sought confrontation, but they chose the path of confrontation.”
The deputy minister linked Iran’s stance to what he called the “geopolitical ambitions” of the United States and Israel, urging other countries to recognize Iran’s right to defend itself.
“We have never accepted the language of force,” he said. “Our message is clear: respect, justice, and balance must define international relations.”
The 12-day conflict ended on June 24 after a US-brokered ceasefire, but global alarm over Tehran’s nuclear program deepened as 400 kilograms of Iran’s highly enriched uranium remained unaccounted for.
Tehran says the material lies buried beneath debris from US and Israeli airstrikes, rendering it unreachable, yet it has so far refused to grant international inspectors access to the damaged sites.
