Wright Says US Keeping Diplomatic and Military Pressure on Iran
Energy secretary tells Face the Nation both tracks remain open as Trump weighs next Iran move
3 min read
File photo: US Energy Secretary Chris Wright. Photo: U.S. Department of Energy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Sunday that Washington is keeping both diplomatic and military pressure on Iran “at all times,” as President Donald Trump weighs his next move in a war that has disrupted Persian Gulf energy flows for more than seven months.
“Of course, of course. At all times,” Wright told CBS News’ Face the Nation when asked whether Trump still has both tracks open. He said the administration is “looking at every avenue to achieve that goal economically, to be prepared for what comes militarily,” arguing that the United States “cannot pass to the next administration an Iran armed with nuclear weapons.”
Iran International’s Sunday live coverage separately highlighted Wright’s remarks that diplomatic and military pressure remain in play, matching the CBS transcript of the interview.
No guarantee against an “October surprise”
Pressed on Iranian attacks on shipping and the risk of a pre-midterm shock to Gulf energy infrastructure, Wright said there are “no guarantees in conflict.” He pointed instead to rising transit out of the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks, record US gasoline production and seasonal demand easing as reasons he expects gasoline and diesel prices to keep falling before Election Day.
He declined to say whether Trump has decided to escalate after the midterms, when a third US carrier strike group is expected to arrive in the region. “I’m definitely not going to get in front of presidents’ plans or policies,” Wright said, adding that Trump is “always planning for contingencies and he’s always negotiating.”
Energy hit accepted to block a nuclear Iran
Wright said Trump understood that military action against Iran could disrupt Gulf energy flows and raise prices, but chose to act anyway. Quoting the president, Wright said: “The world cannot sustain a nuclear-armed Iran, and I’m not going to do it.” He argued that if Trump’s choices were purely political, “he would have just kicked the can down the road and delivered a nuclear-armed Iran to the next president.”
The interview comes as Tehran says it is reviewing Washington’s reply to its seven-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while Iranian officials insist the waterway will stay closed until US conditions tied to a June memorandum are met. UK maritime authorities have also reported further projectile strikes on tankers in and around the strait this weekend.
Wright also called the G7’s coordinated release of about 100 million barrels of oil and diesel from emergency stocks “a big deal,” saying it should help push diesel prices lower through the winter as Gulf flows are gradually restored.
