Iran nuclear deal may be delayed until ‘next administration’ in Tehran, Wright says

The Trump administration may not be able to secure a nuclear deal with Iran until the Middle Eastern country has a new government, according to Energy Secretary Chris Wright.“There may not be a nuclear agreement,” Wright said on ABC News’s This Week on Sunday morning. “An agreement may await the next administration in Iran. We simply don’t know that.”At this time, the United States is more focused on destroying Iran’s nuclear capabilities than striking a nuclear deal with Tehran. President Donald Trump has repeatedly pushed for nuclear talks, but the Iranian regime appears not to be keen on coming to such a deal with the U.S. as long as the war continues. Fighting resumed last week, with tensions escalating in the Strait of Hormuz. Used to transport oil supplies, the waterway is blocked by both warring countries.Peace talks remain stalled as Trump seeks to thwart Iran’s nuclear program, which he cited as one of the reasons for starting Operation Epic Fury in the first place. However, the president has repeatedly insisted the threat has been neutralized.“We have had tremendous success. We stopped Iran from having a nuclear weapon,” Trump said on Friday.Wright underscored the significance of Iran’s development of nuclear weapons, suggesting that could be dangerous for the rest of the world.“If Iran has nuclear weapons, the Middle East, the world is a wildly different place than it is today,” the energy chief said.UKRAINE WAR ‘SINGLE BIGGEST FACTOR’ DRIVING RECORD DIESEL PRICES, WRIGHT SAYSThe military conflict, which Trump has said he does not classify as a traditional war, recently passed its six-month mark. The renewed fighting comes with higher gasoline prices, which continue to strain Americans’ pocketbooks.Labor Day is set to see the highest national average gas price since the federal holiday in September 2012. As of Sunday, AAA says the national average is $4.15 per gallon. The record set 14 years ago was $3.82. Gas prices are significantly higher this year compared to the extended Labor Day weekend in 2025. The national average was $3.19 last year, which Wright touted in his interview with ABC News.