Energy Secretary Chris Wright told NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday that the current military conflict with Iran should wrap up within the next month, potentially bringing gas prices back under $3 a gallon just in time for summer road trips.
Since the fighting started, Americans have been hit hard at the pump, with gas prices jumping 24% and diesel up 32%. Wright didn’t sugarcoat the current situation, calling it a “short-term disruption,” but he argued the pain is necessary to finally stop Iran from threatening global energy supplies and supporting terrorism.
“The world simply can’t see a nuclear-armed Iran,” Wright said, defending the decision to strike now rather than “kick the can down the road” to a future administration. He claimed the U.S. has already dismantled Iran’s navy, air force, and long-range missile sites, and is now focusing on taking out their drones and short-range weapons.
Right now, the Strait of Hormuz—the world’s most important oil transit point—is a no-go zone for most. Wright admitted it isn’t safe for shipping yet, though he mentioned a few tankers slipped through Saturday night, likely after “making a deal” with India. To keep the economy from tanking in the meantime, the U.S. is releasing 400 million barrels of oil in a massive global effort with 30 other countries.
READ: Trump Admin Taps Deep Blue California To Blunt Iran-Induced Oil Price Spike
The Secretary also touched on some controversial domestic moves, noting that the administration has greenlit new offshore drilling in California, over the state’s usual objections, to boost supply.
When pushed by host Kristen Welker on why the U.S. recently eased up on some Russian oil sanctions, Wright insisted it wasn’t a “reward” for Putin.
Instead, he said it was a tactical move to let oil that was already sitting on the water go to Asian refineries to help keep global prices from hitting the $200-a-barrel mark that Iran has been threatening.
The conversation took a political turn when Welker asked about President Trump’s recent comment that Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is “far more difficult to deal with” than Vladimir Putin. Wright steered clear of the drama, calling the Ukrainians “hard-fighting patriots” but noting that the President is focused on ending the four-year war by any means necessary.
For now, the administration’s message is clear: expect a few more weeks of high prices, but a much more stable—and cheaper—energy market once the dust settles in the Middle East.
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