U.S. Energy Secretary Wright says Iran nuclear deal may never happen

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the Trump administration may not reach a negotiated agreement preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon as the U.S.-Iran conflict enters its seventh month. “There may not be a nuclear agreement,” Wright said on ABC News’ “This Week.” He said the United States is degrading Iran’s ability to develop and deliver nuclear weapons, a 47-year effort, while working with regional allies. President Donald Trump prefers a negotiated settlement but would use military force if necessary, Wright said. He added that the military’s primary regional role is stopping Iranian crude, crude-related products and natural-gas exports to force a policy or regime change. Iranian parliament speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that future violations of Iran’s interests would receive a “faster, heavier, and more painful” response. He cited exchange-rate volatility, inflation, unemployment and market-management pressures. U.S. forces struck three Iranian crude carriers. U.S. Central Command said one was permanently disabled near Kharg Island, another near Jask and a third was attacked in the Gulf of Oman. CENTCOM said the strikes followed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps missile attacks on two Navy warships; an aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer evaded them, with no U.S. casualties. CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper said Iran would face higher economic costs, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iranian oil tankers would be destroyed if Iran attacked U.S. ships. Iran, OPEC’s third-largest producer, exported 90% of its crude through Kharg Island before the war. A U.S. blockade beginning in mid-April disrupted flows, while fighting effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz. Trump threatened in June to seize Kharg Island and posted an AI-generated video of its destruction on Aug. 31. The Treasury Department sanctioned a small Turkish investment bank and two subsidiaries over alleged Revolutionary Guard financing. Broader August measures targeted digital assets, advanced technology, gold reserves, commercial aviation and shipping. The World Bank estimates GDP contracted 2.7% in the year ending March; February inflation reached 62.2%, food inflation 99%, and an Iranian official estimated one million job losses.