'You have to eliminate threats to peace,' US Energy Secretary says after Doha attack

Chris Wright tells The National that the US wants peace and security in the region

In response to Israel’s attack on Hamas leaders in Doha on Tuesday, America’s energy secretary has defended the move, telling The National that the US wants peace and security in the region.

"What’s Hamas's impact in the world been? It's been, of course, to terrorise Israel, but it's also been to terrorise the Palestinian people,” US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said. "The world is a better place if Hamas is eliminated."

Speaking to The National on the sidelines of the Gastech conference in Milan, Wright said he did not anticipate any further attacks.

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“None that I’m aware of,” he said.

While Gulf leaders universally condemned Israel’s attack, the White House has been slow to come up with an official response. President Donald Trump weighed in only briefly yesterday, saying he was “unhappy” with the situation.

"We want peace and security among the Gulf oil producers and our allies across the region,” Mr Wright told The National. "Hamas has been a great threat to that uncertainty, to that security, and so has Iran. I think we're going to move in a direction towards peace, but you've got to eliminate the threats to peace before you can get to peace."