As talks continue to swirl around the strategic Strait of Hormuz, experts are advising the Trump administration to maintain its focus on the evolving Iranian nuclear situation.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded on Wednesday to comments reportedly made by IRGC chief Ahmad Vahidi, asserting that Israel would continue to thwart Iran’s nuclear weapon ambitions, irrespective of any diplomatic agreements in place.

These controversial remarks attributed to Vahidi gained online traction; however, they seem to originate from an earlier interview, back when he served as interior minister and an adviser to the IRGC, revisiting statements initially believed to be made in 2025.

In the interview with ILNA, he reportedly claimed that while Iran was not pursuing bomb development, it possessed the capability to act differently if necessary, according to details shared by Khabar online and picked up by News Media.

In reaction to the remarks that were amplified by Israel’s Ch. 14 on X, Netanyahu said during his speech that, “Today, we heard the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, Vahidi, explicitly declare Iran’s intention to continue developing nuclear weapons — ‘continue,’ as he put it,” Netanyahu said at a ceremony marking the reinterment of Shimon and Rivka Herzl, the grandparents of the founder of modern day Zionism, Theodor Herzl.”

“Well, as prime minister of Israel, I too, am determined to continue — to continue preventing Iran from possessing nuclear weapons,” he said.

Netanyahu praised President Donald Trump as Israel’s greatest friend in the White House and expressed appreciation for the two countries’ joint efforts against Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

“Israel’s existence is not subject to negotiation,” Netanyahu said. “With an agreement or without an agreement, I am determined — we are all determined — to do whatever is necessary to ensure our security and our future.”

News Media reached out to a spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office for clarification of his remarks.

The comments came as nuclear experts urged Trump to keep Iran’s nuclear program at the center of negotiations, warning that Tehran could use the Hormuz crisis to secure sanctions relief and other concessions before addressing its remaining nuclear capabilities.

Trump told “Fox News at Night” Tuesday that military force remained an option if Iran abandoned the talks, while insisting Tehran could not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.

“If they back out again, they’re going to get hit really hard,” Trump told Fox News’ Trace Gallagher. “They know that. They understand that. I have no choice. They can’t have a nuclear weapon. It’s very simple.

“The hard hit is yet to come, and hopefully we won’t have to use it.”

Trump said negotiators held an “all-day negotiation” Tuesday and described the discussions as “very good.” He has said the talks would initially focus on reopening the Strait of Hormuz before turning to Tehran’s nuclear program.

Andrea Stricker, deputy director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program, said that sequence could play directly into Iran’s strategy.

“It is in the Iranians’ interest to steer the negotiations toward the issues that they most care about,” Stricker told News Media, including securing major U.S. concessions over Hormuz and “maintaining control of that crucial waterway that has proven a lifeline for Tehran to survive this war.”

She said Iran would also seek oil sanctions relief and potentially relief from all U.S. sanctions, before addressing the nuclear file.

“If Tehran is able to structure the talks that way — and I’m concerned that Trump appears to be going 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.

There is evidence that Tehran has sought to sequence the talks in its favor. Axios reported in April that Iran proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the war before beginning nuclear negotiations, potentially reducing U.S. leverage over enrichment and Iran’s enriched-uranium stockpile.

The Washington Post later reported 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. 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,” Davenport told News Media.

She said Tehran understands that any durable agreement will ultimately have to address its nuclear program but said, “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.”

She said 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. blockade to a measurable Iranian step on the nuclear file.

“The best approach to ensure a solid deal is to make the nuclear issues just as important as the Strait of Hormuz, removing the blockade and other top Iranian priorities,” she said.

DEAR ABBY: For the past two years, I’ve been battling a chronic illness, leading to an extended leave from my job. I’ve always been surrounded by amazing friends and family, whose initial support made the diagnosis a bit more bearable. It was the usual responses of, “Let me know if you need anything,” that comforted me, though I’ve never leaned on anyone, preferring not to impose.

Recently, my world shifted with the passing of my mother, leaving me grappling with overwhelming loneliness. I crave real connection—just a simple lunch or a casual drink with a friend would mean so much. Sadly, my calls go unanswered, and messages seem to disappear into the void. I hadn’t realized there was an expiry on “let me know if you need anything.” I’m certain others out there feel this isolating silence, and I am reaching out for any words of comfort you might offer. — NOT ALWAYS SUNNY IN UTAH

DEAR NOT ALWAYS SUNNY: My heartfelt condolences for the deeply personal loss of your mother. It’s disheartening that those who assured you of their support now seem to have forgotten their promises. This situation requires you to take the initiative to address your solitude.

First, consider joining a support group—either face-to-face or virtual—that relates to your illness. If it aligns with your beliefs, you might also reach out to a religious advisor. Depending on your health, perhaps volunteering for a cause you care about or caring for animals as a foster could also provide meaningful interaction.

Instead of waiting for a call that might never come, perhaps make the proactive choice to have a meal or a drink outside, allowing you to meet new people and protect yourself from dwelling too long in isolation.

** ** **

DEAR ABBY: My son and daughter-in-law think it’s OK to have cameras on me and my husband when we watch their children. It has been going on for six years, and I’m uncomfortable babysitting them while being recorded. 

I know my son and his wife watch the footage, because comments have been made about what we have discussed while babysitting. I’m tired of sucking it up and allowing this. This would mean that I probably wouldn’t get to see my grandchildren anymore. What should I do? — HATE BEING FILMED IN THE MIDWEST

DEAR HATE BEING FILMED: Are the cameras running all the time, or just when you are babysitting? If they are on all the time, then you are not being singled out. Because you find the idea of your son and daughter-in-law listening in on what you thought were private conversations, perhaps you should start doing the babysitting at your home instead of theirs. However, if that isn’t viable, you may either have to bite the bullet and accept the status quo or remove babysitting from the equation.

** ** **

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

In a troubling turn of events, a teenage girl from Florida quietly slipped out of her house in the middle of the night and has since vanished, leaving her family desperate for answers and pleading for her safe return.

Sixteen-year-old Sophia Cover went missing nearly three weeks ago from her residence in Golden Gate Estates, a location situated approximately 30 miles south of Fort Myers. Her disappearance was recorded shortly before 1 a.m. on July 31.

“There’s absolutely no chance she’d just leave us like this,” her father, Richard Cover, expressed to Gulf Coast News, adding that he refuses to accept any reason for her absence.

Firm in his conviction, he reiterated, “There’s no way. I don’t care what’s behind it.”

Security cameras at the Covers’ residence captured Sophia making her way into the night clad in a hoodie at about 12:45 a.m., navigating the darkness on her path.

‘That day, she wasn’t; it was locked. So the dogs whine. And so, I walk around, go through the pool bathroom door and that’s unlocked,’ Cover told the outlet. 

‘And then I walk into her bedroom and she’s nowhere to be found.’

Sophia and her family moved to the area just four months ago, they said, adding that they don’t believe the teen is capable of running away, Gulf Coast News reported.

‘I think that she left the house because someone either convinced her to, or promised her something and I think that she’s in trouble right now. I think someone has my daughter, is what I believe.’

‘That’s what I believe, and I hope I’m wrong,’ he added through tears. 

‘She’s my buddy. I thought I wasn’t going to cry man.’ 

According to the distraught father, Sophia’s older siblings are ‘going nuts’ and the rest of their family has been desperately trying to help bring her home. 

Sophia’s aunt, Jackie Vileikis, shared on social media that the teenager left with her iPhone, which has since been turned off. 

‘Sophia, if you happen to see this, please know we are extremely scared and worried about your safety. We just want to know that you’re okay and want you home safe,’ her father wrote on Facebook. 

In a later post, Cover said that ‘every hour that passes is heartbreaking for our family.’

‘We are not angry. We are terrified and just want to know that Sophia is safe. Every share and every set of eyes looking for her gives us hope,’ he continued. 

‘Every minute without her feels unbearable. We miss her so much and just want to know that she’s safe.’

Her father has launched an online effort to try and find Sophia and hopefully communicate with his daughter.

‘I have buried myself into finding her,’ he told the outlet. ‘The biggest thing I think is I am focused on finding her more than anything else.’

‘Everybody is looking for you, and, if you’re out there on your own, it’s really easy to come home. You can go to any police officer. You can go to any adult that is safe.’

Sophia’s great-grandmother said in a heartbreaking video posted on social media: ‘I love you, I love you, I love you. Please, come home. I want to see you again. Okay? I’m waiting for you Sophia. I want to see you Sophia. I love you. I love you. I love you.’

Sophia is described as 5 feet, 7 inches tall, weighs 115 pounds, and has long brown hair and brown eyes. Investigators say there are currently no leads on her whereabouts and are urging anyone with information to come forward. 

‘Sophia, if you see this…I need you to know that I love you more than words could ever explain. There isn’t a single day that goes by that I don’t think about you. I miss your smile, your laugh, and hearing your voice. Home just isn’t the same without you here,’ her father wrote on Facebook.

‘I’m not giving up on you. I’ll keep searching, keep hoping, and keep praying until you’re home safe. No matter what’s happened or how much time has passed, you’re my daughter, and that will never change.

‘If you’re scared, hurting, or don’t know what to do, please just let someone know you’re okay. You don’t have to go through anything alone. I just want to know you’re safe and bring you home where you belong.

‘I love you with all my heart, Sophia. I’ll always be your dad, and I’ll always be waiting for you with open arms. Please come home.’

Deputies emphasized that any details regarding her disappearance are essential to bringing her home. Contact the Collier County Sheriff’s Office at 239-252-9300 with any information on Sophia Cover. 

The Daily Mail reached out to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office for comment.  

CHICAGO (WLS) — On a sunny Friday afternoon, a violent altercation at a South Side beach in Chicago left four people injured, including two off-duty police officers.

Chicago police reported the incident took place around 4:05 p.m. at 31st Street Beach, located in the 3100 block of South Lake Shore Drive.

The video in the player above is from an earlier report.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

According to the Chicago Police Department, the scene unfolded as a 23-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman, both off-duty officers, were socializing with two other 22-year-old male companions when they encountered two male and two female assailants with undisclosed ages.

An argument swiftly escalated, prompting the off-duty officers to identify themselves in an attempt to calm tensions. Unfortunately, the confrontation turned physical despite their intervention.

The 23-year-old off-duty officer had a cut on his face and nose and was taken to a hospital in good condition, Chicago police said.

The three other victims had various cuts and other injuries, but refused medical attention at the scene, police said.

Chopper 7 was over the scene, where responding Chicago police officers could be seen at the beach’s entrance.

The four suspects involved in the fight were taken into custody, CPD said.

ABC7 was on the scene when one of the four people arrested was taken away in an ambulance. There was no word yet on his condition, but ABC7 crews did see that he was conscious and talking.

Police say charges are pending as they continue to investigate.

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