U.S. warns Iran of tighter sanctions over nuclear standoff

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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