U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright has warned that Iran could face tighter sanctions if it fails to reach an agreement with President Donald Trump over its nuclear programme.
In an interview with CNBC on Tuesday, Wright said, “Absolutely, I would expect very tight sanctions on Iran, and hopefully drive them to abandon their nuclear program.” The remarks come just ahead of his first diplomatic tour to the Middle East as energy chief.
Wright will begin a nearly two-week visit to three Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia — the de facto leader of OPEC. The trip is expected to focus on energy cooperation, market stability, and strategic alignment in a region undergoing geopolitical realignment.
At home, Wright also defended President Trump’s forthcoming executive order to revive the U.S. coal industry. He argued that coal is essential to power artificial intelligence data centres, as well as meet the energy needs of steel and industrial production.
“We need a growing supply of electricity to hit the AI boom and also for this re-industrializing of the United States,” Wright said. “If we want to grow America’s electricity production meaningfully over the next five or 10 years, we’ve got to stop closing coal plants.”
The energy chief also addressed Trump’s calls for the European Union to buy more American energy. “I’ve had countries in Asia, in Europe, and elsewhere reach out to express interest in buying more American energy,” he said.
On Europe’s long-term energy strategy, Wright was blunt: “As I talk to European leaders, one thing they all share is a regret that they bet their energy future on Russia. I don’t think there’s a huge desire that, when the war is over, we’re going to re-count on Russia.”
Wright’s remarks underscore a broader shift in U.S. energy policy — one that blends foreign policy leverage with a renewed push for domestic production. As tensions with Iran escalate and Europe recalibrates its energy dependence, Washington appears ready to assert itself on multiple fronts.
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Iran would retaliate by striking U.S. military bases across the Middle East if it comes under attack by American forces, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghc...
France and Canada opened new consulates in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, on Friday, stepping up their Arctic presence in a show of support for Denmark,...
A senior Russian military intelligence officer is recovering in hospital after being shot several times in Moscow, as investigators prepare to interro...
Russia launched a large-scale overnight attack on Ukraine’s energy system early on Saturday (7 January), hitting power generation and distribution f...
U.S. has become a central outside power in the south caucasus, shaping diplomacy, security and energy flows. Its relations with Azerbaijan and Armenia have evolved from similar beginnings into two distinct partnerships that now define Washington’s role in the region.
Iran would retaliate by striking U.S. military bases across the Middle East if it comes under attack by American forces, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday (7 January), stressing that such action should not be seen as targeting the countries hosting those bases.
France and Canada opened new consulates in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, on Friday, stepping up their Arctic presence in a show of support for Denmark, a NATO ally, amid renewed demands by U.S. President Donald Trump to acquire the strategically located territory.
Russia launched a large-scale overnight attack on Ukraine’s energy system early on Saturday (7 January), hitting power generation and distribution facilities with more than 400 drones and around 40 missiles, Ukrainian officials have said.
Winter weather has brought air travel in the German capital to a complete halt, stranding thousands of passengers as severe icing conditions make runways and aircraft unsafe for operation and force authorities to shut down one of Europe’s key transport hubs.
Storm Leonardo hit Spain and Portugal on Tuesday, forcing more than 11,000 people from their homes, as a man in Portugal died after his car was swept away by floodwaters and a second body was found in Malaga.
An attacker opened fire at the gates of a Shiite Muslim mosque in Islamabad on Friday before detonating a suicide bomb that killed at least 31 people in the deadliest assault of its kind in the capital in more than a decade.
Alphabet is emerging as a frontrunner in the global artificial intelligence race, as analysts and executives say Google has overtaken OpenAI, marking a sharp reversal from a year ago when the company was widely seen as lagging.
Iran and the United States opened nuclear talks in Oman on Friday, with Tehran calling the meeting a good start and both sides agreeing to continue discussions after returning to their capitals for consultations.
France and Canada opened new consulates in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, on Friday, stepping up their Arctic presence in a show of support for Denmark, a NATO ally, amid renewed demands by U.S. President Donald Trump to acquire the strategically located territory.
Russia launched a large-scale overnight attack on Ukraine’s energy system early on Saturday (7 January), hitting power generation and distribution facilities with more than 400 drones and around 40 missiles, Ukrainian officials have said.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 7th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators have discussed an ambitious goal of reaching a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine by March, though the timeline is widely viewed as unrealistic due to deep disagreements over territory, according to multiple sources familiar with the talks.
At least 31 people have been killed and scores wounded in a suicide bombing at a mosque in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, during Friday prayers, prompting widespread international condemnation.
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