Energy Secretary says 'there may not be' a nuclear agreement with Iran
President Trump said last week he "could not care less" if Iran struck a deal.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Sunday that a nuclear agreement with Iran, long sought by President Donald Trump, may not come to fruition after months of war with the country.
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uncertain
agreement → say → country
It may be simply destroying their capabilities to do it.
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It → destroy → it
An agreement may await a next administration in Iran.
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agreement → await → Iran
We simply don't know that," Wright told ABC News' "This Week" co-anchor Martha Raddatz when asked about signs of a possible nuclear deal.
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Wright → know → deal
Asked how the U.S. plans to keep Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon without an agreement, Wright said that the U.S. had crippled the country's ability to produce one through its bombing campaign.
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U.S. → ask → campaign
"We are degrading their capacity to develop nuclear weapons and ultimately to deliver them, if they develop them," he said.
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he → degrade → them
This is not trivial, but the United States will get the job done, and we will work in cooperation with our allies in the region.
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we → get → region
Last month, Trump similarly suggested that a deal he deems sufficient with Iran might not happen, in spite of the fact that securing a nuclear agreement with Iran was initially one of the administration's main objectives.
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securing → suggest → objectives
"They want to make a deal, but they're not going to make the kind of a deal that I feel is necessary," Trump told reporters in August.
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Trump → want → August
"Look, we're in there for one reason -- Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.
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Iran → look → weapon
You understand that -- Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and they won't have a nuclear weapon.
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they → understand → weapon
And right now, them building one after what we did previously with the B-2 bombers, it's going to be a long time," he added.
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he → build → bombers
The president reiterated that sentiment last Tuesday, declaring on social media that he "could not care less" if Iran struck a deal with the U.S. -- even as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said earlier the same day that the administration's goal was to "economically asphyxiate" Iran to force them to the table.
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goal → reiterate → table
Wright's comments come as hostilities between the U.S. and Iran appeared to ramp up again, even as the president declared the war to be "small potatoes" on Friday.
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war → come → Friday
On Saturday, the U.S. struck three Iranian oil tankers after Iran targeted two U.S. Navy warships.
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Iran → strike → warships
Tehran then claimed to have launched retaliatory strikes on three U.S.-affiliated vessels and three oil tankers.
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Tehran → claim → vessels
"Look, it's a challenge.
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it → look → ?
Iran is doing everything they can to cling on to something," Wright said Sunday when pressed on the president's characterization of the conflict.
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Wright → do → conflict
"They know their nuclear program is coming to an end, their navy's come to an end, their air force has come to an end.
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force → know → end
They're clinging on to power as the United States continues to escalate the volume of oil that transits through the Strait of Hormuz," he said.
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he → cling → Hormuz
Wright later added that the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports would "either change their regime or it'll change their regime's policies."
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it → add → policies
You said that Monday we broke a wartime record with 17 million barrels a day passing through.
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we → say → barrels
Have we sustained that this week?
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we → sustain → that
So it continues to migrate up.
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it → continue → ?
And when you add those together, the flow through the -- out of that region is more like 13, 14 million barrels a day.
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flow → add → barrels
On when Americans can expect gas prices to decrease:
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prices → expect → ?
Well, if you look at the futures prices, you wanted to buy today in bulk gasoline for two months out in November, it's about 35 cents cheaper than it is today.
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it → look → November
So the marketplace thinks gasoline prices are going to move meaningfully lower.
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prices → think → ?
So trust the market, certainly don't trust my predictions, but we're doing everything we can to grow the production of gasoline as we pass Labor Day tomorrow, you'll start to see demand decline as we move out of summer driving season.
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we → trust → season
On the U.S. deal with Venezuela:
WRIGHT: We have a lot of leverage over Venezuela.
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We → have → Venezuela
We control the sale of oil outside of their country.
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We → control → country
So right now they are forced to work in partnership with us, and they are working in partnership with us.
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they → force → us
It's drawing billions of dollars in investment, and it's transforming that region from a region of conflict to a region of commerce.
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it → draw → commerce
I think the momentum going [in] that direction, whoever is ruling Venezuela, is quite strong.
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whoever → think → Venezuela
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