The Trump administration is pursuing both diplomatic and military options in the Iran conflict, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Sunday, refusing to rule out further escalation in the region following the deployment of a third US aircraft carrier to the region
Asked on CBS News whether the expected arrival of the USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Middle East next month indicates that President Donald Trump had decided to escalate after the US mid-term elections, Mr Wright declined to discuss the President's plans.
“He's always planning for contingencies and he's always negotiating,” Mr Wright said. “He's got both tracks still going, diplomatic and military.”
Mr Wright said there were no guarantees that Iran would not launch further attacks against Gulf energy infrastructure, which could push already elevated fuel prices higher.
“There's no guarantees in conflict,” he said.
The Trump administration is preparing for possible disruption by increasing US production and refining capacity while seeking to boost fuel supplies from allies, he added.
Earlier on Sunday, a tanker was hit by an unidentified projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, causing damage to its engine room, according to UK Maritime Trade Operations.
Diesel prices have been particularly affected by the disruption to global energy supplies, with China also reducing exports of diesel and other refined fuels, Mr Wright said.
The G7 has agreed to release 100 million barrels of fuel from strategic reserves over four months, with the release front-loaded towards diesel. Mr Wright said he expects diesel prices to fall below $6 a gallon but didn't commit to a timeline.
Russia and China sanctions in Ukraine war
Mr Wright was also pressed on a separate issue involving Russia's war in Ukraine. Under a new law named after the late senator Lindsey Graham, the US can impose tariffs on China and India for buying Russian oil, sales of which are helping pay for its war against Ukraine. But Mr Wright repeatedly declined to say whether Mr Trump would pursue such tariffs.
"Of course, we're trying to have great relations with China and move that ball forward. I think things are going reasonably well there," he said. "But then the flip side is you've got to look at every leverage you've got to bring a murderous conflict to an end."
Mr Wright also said the US would not allow Iran to become a nuclear-armed state, arguing that the administration could not leave the issue to the next president. “The world cannot sustain a nuclear-armed Iran,” he said.
