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.
A coalition of democracy and human rights groups has filed a lawsuit against the US State Department over its agreement with El Salvador to house migrants in the country's prison system, calling it unconstitutional and illegal.
Presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay is in critical condition after being shot three times — including twice in the head — during a campaign event in Bogotá.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for June 8th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Driverless lorries are already rolling on highways between Beijing and Tianjin port, showing how China’s transport industry could change soon.
Colombia has cut deforestation by a third in early 2025, with the biggest progress seen in Amazon national parks.
A coalition of democracy and human rights groups has filed a lawsuit against the US State Department over its agreement with El Salvador to house migrants in the country's prison system, calling it unconstitutional and illegal.
Presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay is in critical condition after being shot three times — including twice in the head — during a campaign event in Bogotá.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for June 8th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Driverless lorries are already rolling on highways between Beijing and Tianjin port, showing how China’s transport industry could change soon.
Colombia has cut deforestation by a third in early 2025, with the biggest progress seen in Amazon national parks.
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has confirmed it carried out a third targeted attack against the Crimean Bridge, also known as the Kerch Bridge, early Tuesday morning, marking a new escalation in the ongoing conflict with Russia.
A strong 6.3 magnitude earthquake shook Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture early Monday, causing no reported injuries or damage, and no tsunami warning was issued, officials confirmed.
A 30-year-old woman was shot by police in Munich on Saturday evening after stabbing two people at Theresienwiese, a central park best known for hosting Oktoberfest.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to speak this week to discuss recent trade tensions, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine ended abruptly in Istanbul on Monday, lasting just over an hour amid mounting tensions following a major Ukrainian drone strike on Russian strategic bombers and renewed pressure from the U.S. for a breakthrough.
A coalition of democracy and human rights groups has filed a lawsuit against the US State Department over its agreement with El Salvador to house migrants in the country's prison system, calling it unconstitutional and illegal.
Presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay is in critical condition after being shot three times — including twice in the head — during a campaign event in Bogotá.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for June 8th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Driverless lorries are already rolling on highways between Beijing and Tianjin port, showing how China’s transport industry could change soon.
Kenya has directed its tea factories to suspend ties with the Rainforest Alliance, saying the cost of ethical certification is too high for struggling smallholder farmers.
A coalition of democracy and human rights groups has filed a lawsuit against the US State Department over its agreement with El Salvador to house migrants in the country's prison system, calling it unconstitutional and illegal.
Presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay is in critical condition after being shot three times — including twice in the head — during a campaign event in Bogotá.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for June 8th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Driverless lorries are already rolling on highways between Beijing and Tianjin port, showing how China’s transport industry could change soon.
Colombia has cut deforestation by a third in early 2025, with the biggest progress seen in Amazon national parks.
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