Five-year-old killed by security forces in Iran’s restive southeast

According to spokesperson Tammy Bruce, both sides emphasized the need for Iraq to reduce reliance on external energy sources, swiftly reopen the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline, and uphold contractual commitments to U.S. companies to attract further investment.

Bruce added that "the two sides also discussed reducing Iran’s malign influence and continuing efforts to prevent ISIS from resurging and destabilizing the broader region."

"I don't want to negotiate with Iran either," Graham told Iran International, when asked about foreign minister Abbas Araghchi's comments on the subject.

In a press conference with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov in Tehran, Araghchi ruled out direct negotiations with the United States over the country’s disputed nuclear program as long as the sanctions persisted.

"Iran's position in the nuclear talks is completely clear, and we will not negotiate under pressure and sanctions," he said. "There is no possibility of direct negotiations between us and the US as long as maximum pressure is being applied in this manner."

The South Carolina Republican is a foreign policy hawk who maintains a close relationship with Trump. Graham co-sponsored a bill this month calling for denying Iran a nuclear bomb by any means necessary, days after US President Trump appeared to downplay a military option.

Iran denies seeking a nuclear weapon but the United States assesses that it has stepped up enrichment in order to quickly attain the capability should it wish.

Trump this month reimposed the policy of tough sanctions on Iran from his first term, aimed at driving Iran's oil exports down to zero.

Still, Trump called any reports that a US-Israeli strike would deal Iran a devastating blow "greatly exaggerated" and said he much preferred a deal.

Republican lawmakers appeared less charitable, with West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito telling Iran International that Tehran cannot be believed.

"The way I see it, Iran is a country of terrorism that foments terror certainly acrpss the the Mideast and around the world. I can't imagine that I would trust anything they would say."

Florida Senator Rick Scott said denying Iran a bomb was a main priority.

"I don't think we can allow Iran to have nuclear weapons, and so I think we've got to do everything under our power to make sure they don't have nuclear weapons."

Outlets affiliated with the Islamic Republic’s security forces published videos of the attack in the town of Chabahar, saying the forces were targeting individuals linked to Jaish al-Adl, a militant group that has previously carried out attacks in the region.

Videos published on Tuesday show government forces firing RPG rounds at the house as clashes continued.

According to reports from Halvash, a local news website, people inside the house returned fire, leading to an armed standoff.

Surveillance and combat drones were also seen in the area, as security forces in nearby buildings deployed heavy weapons in a bid to end the confrontation.

The site remained surrounded at around noon Eastern Standard Time, and the nature the gunmen and any casualties remained unclear.

Jaish al-Adl, a Sunni Islamist militant organization hailing from the Baloch ethnic minority, has not officially commented on the incident.

The raid follows a series of incidents in Chabahar. On February 22, a bomb blast destroyed the headquarters for the coordination of eastern Chabahar villages.

Around the same time, an armed attack on the Housing Foundation building in the province left one employee injured.

Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying hey were in retaliation for government policies to displace local Baloch communities.

The group has been designated a terrorist organization by both the Islamic Republic and the United States. The group has carried out several attacks on Iranian military and IRGC positions in recent years.

Citing two unnamed government sources, the outlet said the Islamic Republic has also been bolstering defenses around key nuclear and missile sites, which include the deployment of additional air defense system launchers.

According to the sources, the measures are in response to growing concerns of potential joint military action by Israel and the United States.

“They [Iranian authorities] are just waiting for the attack and are anticipating it every night and everything has been on high alert – even in sites that no one knows about,” one source said.

“Work to fortify nuclear sites has been ongoing for years but it has intensified over the past year, particularly since Israel launched the first attack,” he added referring to Israel’s October attack that damaged Iran's air defense systems.

“Recent developments, including Donald Trump’s comments and reports about potential plans from his administration to strike Iran, have further intensified activities.”

The report follows warnings from US intelligence to both the Biden and Trump administrations that Israel would likely target key Iranian nuclear sites this year.

In February, the Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post cited US intelligence findings from January suggesting that Israel saw an opening for an attack on Iranian nuclear sites as early as the first half of this year.

“These people claimed to be seminarians, but after Mahsa Amini’s case, they poured into the streets armed with knives and machetes, confronting the people,” Mohammad Ashrafi Esfahani told the Tehran-based Didban News website.

“They would return in bloodied clothes and then dress as clerics again," he added in the Tuesday interview.

Ashrafi Esfahani said individuals linked to prominent cleric Alireza Panahian were involved in violent crackdowns on protesters.

“Has there ever been a precedent in Shia history for a seminarian to wield a machete and attack people? Yet, Panahian’s group did exactly that,” he said of the violence following the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini.

The young woman died at the custody of morality police, sparking the national Woman, Life, Freedom movement.

His comments come amid a broader power struggle between clerical factions, with Ashrafi Esfahani accusing Panahian’s followers of attempting to seize control of religious institutions for financial and political gain.

“We filed a complaint and reported this to the authorities,” he said. “But it is still unclear who is supporting these individuals.”