On Sunday, Energy Secretary Chris Wright defended President Donald Trump‘s negotiating posture toward Iran, after Trump used a Truth Social message to threaten strikes on Iranian power generation and transport links if Tehran refuses a proposed agreement. The warning landed as Trump also accused Iran of breaking a ceasefire and argued the maritime squeeze is draining Tehran by $500 million each day, a pressure campaign he described in the United States is going to knock out post.
Speaking with CNN, Wright said Trump is trying to build leverage at the table, and he rejected concerns that hitting infrastructure would necessarily cross legal lines. Wright argued some facilities primarily back Irans military capacity, even as he acknowledged they can also serve civilians.
Unpacking High Stakes In Hormuz
Wright also said passage through the Strait of Hormuz is not safe, after Trump pointed to gunfire involving a French vessel and a U.K. freighter. He suggested conditions could improve once an agreement is reached, and said the U.S. has already moved two warships through the corridor.
In Trump’s separate messaging, the standoff is framed as both a security issue and an economic choke point, with the U.S. blockade presented as the main tool to force movement. Trump has argued that keeping Iranian-linked shipments pinned down is already rerouting empty tankers toward U.S. loading areas such as Texas, Louisiana, and Alaska.
U.S. Central Command described immediate operational disruption after the blockade began earlier in the week, saying vessels were ordered to turn back. 21 ships have complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around and return to Iran, the command said on X.
How U.S. Strategies Are Shaping Oil Prices
During the interview, Wright said the administration is pairing the shipping pressure with financial actions, describing Treasury-led efforts to cut off what he called Iran’s overseas funding networks. He also said the goal is to end the conflict and prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, even if energy markets take a near-term hit.
The interview also turned to U.S. gasoline costs, with Wright saying he could not promise a quick return to under $3 a gallon and that it might not happen until 2027. He added that prices had likely topped out and should ease as the conflict is resolved.
Crude trading showed sharp moves as operators assessed the risks around Hormuz, with WTIs May contract down 9.63% to $85.57 a barrel and the June contract off 7.86% to $84.00 as of 6:44 p.m. EDT. Those declines came as Iranian officials warned access could tighten further if the blockade continues.
Wright also addressed a separate sanctions decision involving Russia, saying the U.S. extended a pause after global bankers pressed for steps to keep fuel costs lower in Asia and Europe. He said the administration expects those restrictions to return later.
Strategic Shifts in U.S. Oil Exports
In previous statements, Trump emphasized the U.S. energy landscape, claiming that large, empty oil tankers are arriving to load what he described as the nation’s “sweetest” crude, highlighting America’s competitive edge in quality and supply. He stated that the U.S. holds more oil than the next two largest oil economies combined, positioning domestic production as a reliable alternative amidst ongoing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, where approximately 20% of global oil supply transits.
This backdrop of supply chain strain underscores the urgency of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, as Trump’s comments suggest a push for U.S. exports to fill the void left by conflict in the region, further complicating the dynamics of oil pricing and availability as tensions remain high.
What Iran’s Mixed Signals Mean For Negotiations
Iran’s public line has not been consistent, with officials alternating between claims that commerce can continue and warnings that the route could shut if the U.S. keeps blocking Iran-linked traffic. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said commercial shipping was completely open during a 10-day ceasefire tied to tensions involving Israel and Lebanon, while parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote, With the continuation of the blockade, the Strait of Hormuz will not remain open.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has described the strait as under strict management and control by Iran’s armed forces, and an IRGC spokesperson accused Washington of maritime piracy under the blockade. The IRGC has also acknowledged striking two ships in the strait, arguing the vessels challenged Iranian jurisdiction, while the U.K.’s Maritime Trade Operations Center said a tanker was fired on by two IRGC speedboats and that the crew was unharmed.
Wright said the vice president has been leading talks, and he suggested a deal could come within the next couple of weeks. Trump has separately said U.S. negotiators were heading to Islamabad for discussions scheduled for Monday evening, while an Iranian negotiator told state television the sides were still far from a final agreement.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Saeed Khatibzadeh, has said Tehran does not want to restart direct, in-person talks without a framework agreement first, and he criticized U.S. sanctions as economic terrorism that harms ordinary citizens. Trump, meanwhile, has kept the negotiating track paired with explicit military threats, including his all-caps warning, “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!”
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