Energy Secretary Wright: Iran Nuclear Deal 'May Not' Happen, Says US May Instead Destroy Tehran's Capabilities

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on ABC News' 'This Week' on September 6 that a nuclear agreement with Iran may not be reachable anytime soon, seven months into the war that began February 28. 'There may not be a nuclear agreement,' Wright said, adding the alternative path could be 'simply destroying their capabilities to do it' rather than negotiating a deal. He said any formal agreement 'may await the next administration in Iran,' while acknowledging 'we simply don't know that,' and claimed continued US bombing campaigns are 'degrading their capacity to develop nuclear weapons and ultimately to deliver them.' The comments came the same weekend the US destroyed three Iranian oil tankers and Iran fired ballistic missiles at a US carrier group, underscoring that the administration sees military pressure — not diplomacy — as the near-term path on Iran, with implications for how long the Strait of Hormuz naval blockade and its oil-market disruption persist.