Nuclear experts urge Trump not to let Iran steer talks away from regime's atomic threat

Iran’s apical Revolutionary Guard commandant declared Wednesday that Tehran would proceed moving connected atomic weapons arsenic agelong arsenic the United States and Israel person them, intensifying concerns that Iran is utilizing negotiations implicit the Strait of Hormuz to postpone concessions connected its atomic program.

"As agelong arsenic the United States and Israel person atomic weapons, we volition proceed moving connected them for our nationalist security," IRGC commander-in-chief Ahmad Vahidi said, according to a translation of remarks circulating Wednesday. "If they disarm, we volition disarm."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded by vowing that Israel would proceed preventing Iran from obtaining a atomic weapon, with oregon without a diplomatic agreement.

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A representation shows harm to Iran's Fordow atomic tract aft being struck by the United States successful Operation Midnight Hammer connected June 22, 2025. (Fox News)

"Today, we heard the commandant of the Revolutionary Guards, Vahidi, explicitly state Iran’s volition to proceed processing atomic weapons — ‘continue,’ arsenic helium enactment it," Netanyahu said astatine a ceremonial marking the reinterment of Shimon and Rivka Herzl, the grandparents of the laminitis of modern time Zionism, Theodor Herzl.

"Well, arsenic premier curate of Israel, I excessively americium determined to proceed — to proceed preventing Iran from possessing atomic weapons," helium said.

Netanyahu praised President Donald Trump arsenic Israel’s top person successful the White House and expressed appreciation for the 2 countries’ associated efforts against Iran’s atomic ambitions.

"Israel’s beingness is not taxable to negotiation," Netanyahu said. "With an statement oregon without an agreement, I americium determined — we are each determined — to bash immoderate is indispensable to guarantee our information and our future."

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President Pezeshkian said Iran would rebuild the atomic facilities targeted by the US, and marque them stronger successful 2025. (Iranian Presidency / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The speech came arsenic atomic experts urged Trump to support Iran’s atomic programme astatine the halfway of negotiations, informing that Tehran could usage the Hormuz situation to unafraid sanctions alleviation and different concessions earlier addressing its remaining atomic capabilities.

Trump told "Fox News astatine Night" connected Tuesday that subject unit remained an enactment if Iran abandoned the talks, portion insisting Tehran could not beryllium allowed to get a atomic weapon.

"If they backmost retired again, they’re going to get deed truly hard," Trump told Fox News’ Trace Gallagher. "They cognize that. They recognize that. I person nary choice. They can’t person a atomic weapon. It’s precise simple."

"The hard deed is yet to come, and hopefully we won’t person to usage it," helium added.

Trump said negotiators held an "all-day negotiation" Tuesday and described the discussions arsenic "very good." He has said the talks would initially absorption connected reopening the Strait of Hormuz earlier turning to Tehran’s atomic program.

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A outer presumption shows an overview of the Natanz atomic installation and Pickaxe Mountain, adjacent Natanz, Iran, June 30, 2026 (Vantor/Handout via Reuters)

Andrea Stricker, lawman manager of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program, said that series could play straight into Iran’s strategy.

"It is successful the Iranians’ involvement to steer the negotiations toward the issues that they astir attraction about," Stricker told Fox News Digital, including securing large US concessions implicit Hormuz and "maintaining power of that important waterway that has proven a lifeline for Tehran to past this war."

She said Iran would besides question lipid sanctions relief, and perchance alleviation from each U.S. sanctions, earlier addressing the atomic file.

"If Tehran is capable to operation the talks that way, and I’m acrophobic that Trump appears to beryllium going on with that approach, determination whitethorn beryllium small near successful presumption of leverage to get large concessions from the Iranians connected the atomic record down the line," Stricker said.

There is grounds that Tehran has sought to series the talks successful its favor. Axios reported successful April that Iran projected reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the warfare earlier opening atomic negotiations, perchance reducing U.S. leverage implicit enrichment and Iran’s enriched-uranium stockpile.

President Donald Trump (R) speaks alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a exemplary of Air Force One connected the table, during a gathering successful the Oval Office of the White House connected April 7, 2025, successful Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

The Washington Post aboriginal reported that Tehran was focused connected preserving its leverage implicit Hormuz alternatively than engaging profoundly connected large atomic restrictions.

Kelsey Davenport, manager for nonproliferation argumentation astatine the Arms Control Association, agreed Iran is seeking to capitalize connected the leverage it gained by disrupting maritime postulation done the Strait of Hormuz.

"The existent absorption connected the Straits of Hormuz is not surprising. Iran is looking to capitalize connected leverage gained by disrupting maritime postulation done the waterway and trial if Trump is consenting to negociate successful bully faith," Davenport told Fox News Digital.

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Satellite imagery taken connected January 30, 2026 shows a caller extortion implicit a antecedently destroyed gathering astatine Natanz atomic site. (2026 PLANET LABS PBC/Handout via REUTERS)

She said Tehran understands that immoderate durable statement volition yet person to code its atomic program, but said that "At the extremity of this conflict, Iran volition inactive person the capabilities indispensable to physique a bomb," Davenport said, "The applicable cognition and atomic expertise cannot beryllium bombed away."

"Tehran retains cardinal materials and technologies indispensable to physique a bomb," she added. "If near unchecked, the atomic programme volition beryllium a root of instability and renewed conflict, adjacent if Iran does not resume much proliferation-sensitive atomic activities."

A projected statement betwixt Iran and Oman could springiness Tehran immoderate power implicit ships entering the Persian Gulf done the Strait of Hormuz, a elder Iranian root and 2 determination officials told Reuters Wednesday. One determination root described the statement arsenic a concession that had already been made, though the precise meaning of Iranian "control" remained nether negotiation.

Iran is besides seeking fees from ships traveling done the waterway, according to Reuters, portion Washington has opposed some Iranian power and mandatory transit charges.

Stricker said postponing the atomic issues would let the authorities to sphere its remaining enriched-uranium stockpiles and debar afloat dismantling its atomic infrastructure.

She said Iran besides wants to debar accounting for its past atomic weapons-related enactment oregon committing to extremity uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing.

Bushehr atomic works successful Iran, connected April 29, 2024. (Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

"Leaving them arsenic a last-order contented successful the negotiations apt means that we volition not spot the Iranians marque large concessions and marque a coagulated atomic deal," Stricker said.

Davenport said the medication should prioritize restoring entree for inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency earlier opening elaborate atomic negotiations.

"The IAEA has not visited cardinal Iranian atomic sites successful much than a year," she said. "It remains unclear however overmuch of Iran’s atomic infrastructure remains and wherever immoderate gaps mightiness beryllium successful trying to relationship for Iran’s atomic materials."

She said renewed inspections would springiness Washington a clearer representation of Iran’s remaining facilities and materials, portion helping negotiators plan a verification authorities susceptible of addressing immoderate gaps.

Davenport besides recommended pairing sanctions alleviation with specific, verifiable Iranian steps alternatively than negotiating 1 sweeping package.

"A bid of smaller deals could physique assurance successful the process," she said.

Stricker urged the medication to nexus each concession involving Hormuz, sanctions oregon the U.S. blockade to a measurable Iranian measurement connected the atomic file.

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The U.S. subject has been enforcing a naval blockade successful the Strait of Hormuz, adjacent during the ceasefire. (U.S. Central Command)

"The champion attack to guarantee a coagulated woody is to marque the atomic issues conscionable arsenic important arsenic the Strait of Hormuz, removing the blockade and different apical Iranian priorities," she said.