US energy secretary says nuclear deal with Iran may not happen

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Sunday that the United States might not reach a nuclear agreement preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Speaking to ABC as talks appear stalled and the US-Israel military campaign against Iran continues, Wright said an agreement may simply not materialize.

He explained that the so-called existential threat posed by Iran's nuclear capabilities could instead be eliminated through further US military action targeting the country's ability to build and deploy such weapons, or the matter could be left for a future Iranian government to resolve.

Speaking later to CBS, Wright stressed that the US had not closed the door on diplomacy and remained open to a deal. He said the US military's main current role in the Gulf region was to block Iranian energy exports, aiming to pressure a change in policy or government in Tehran.

In a separate CNN interview, Wright declined to unequivocally declare the Strait of Hormuz safe for oil tankers without US navy escort, and would not confirm whether the fleet would need to stay in the region indefinitely. This came despite President Trump's repeated claims that vessels can safely pass through the narrow waterway and that the US controls it.

Wright acknowledged that current shipping traffic remains below pre-conflict levels and that safe passage currently depends on US naval involvement. He added that other nations might eventually join the effort, since safeguarding global trade should not fall solely on the United States.

Nuclear and diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran have stalled since a June interim agreement failed to produce a lasting peace settlement or resolve the future of Iran's nuclear program following major US strikes last summer.

Wright also confirmed the US remains in a conflict with Iran, even though Vice-President JD Vance recently avoided calling it a war. Senator John Kennedy said he doubted the conflict would end by November, while former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned it could drag on much longer. The conflict has already passed the six-month mark.