Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press, Energy Secretary Chris Wright addressed surging fuel costs, the Strait of Hormuz and what Americans can realistically expect at the pump in the weeks ahead
Americans watching their gas bills climb have been waiting for someone in Washington to give them a straight answer. On Sunday morning, Energy Secretary Chris Wright came close to doing exactly that.
Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press with host Kristen Welker, Wright addressed the surge in fuel costs head-on, acknowledging the pain Americans are feeling at the pump while framing it as a temporary consequence of the ongoing U.S. military conflict with Iran. Since the war began, the national average price for gasoline has risen 24%, and diesel prices have jumped 32% — figures Welker put directly to the secretary at the top of the interview.
Relief is coming, but not yet
Wright was direct about the timeline. He told Welker that prices will begin to come down once the conflict is over, and he placed that endpoint within a window of a few more weeks. The administration’s stated goal from the outset was a four-to-six week operation to dismantle Iran’s military capabilities — and Wright indicated that timeline remains on track. Iran’s navy, air force, long-range missiles and missile construction infrastructure have all been targeted and largely neutralized, he said. The military focus is now shifting toward shorter-range threats including drones and close-range missiles.
On whether gas prices could return to under $3 a gallon by summer, Wright said there is a very good chance that happens — but stopped short of a guarantee, noting that no outcome in wartime comes with certainty attached.
The Strait of Hormuz is not safe
One of the most significant admissions of the interview came when Welker pressed Wright on the status of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes. Wright confirmed plainly that the strait is not currently safe for shipping and that Iran has actively impeded the flow of vessels through the waterway since the conflict began. Reopening it, he said, is one of the primary objectives before the war can be considered complete.
Some movement through the strait is still occurring. Wright noted that five tanker ships carrying crude oil and liquefied natural gas passed through the waterway the previous night without incident, suggesting the lane is constrained but not entirely sealed. Reopening it fully, he added, will require an increasing military focus in the weeks ahead.
On the question of international cooperation, Wright said President Trump has been in contact with a number of countries — including China, Japan, the United Kingdom, France and South Korea — about helping to secure the waterway. Wright expressed confidence that China, despite its strategic ties to Iran, will ultimately act as a constructive partner in getting the strait reopened, given how heavily the Chinese economy depends on energy flowing through it.
The administration’s moves to soften the blow
Wright outlined several steps the administration has already taken to limit how far prices climb. More than 30 nations participated in a coordinated release of 400 million barrels of oil from strategic reserves. Middle Eastern allies repositioned oil shipments ahead of the conflict. And in a notable development, the administration announced new offshore oil production coming online in California — a move Wright described as overriding years of state resistance to domestic energy development.
He also addressed the temporary easing of sanctions on Russian oil, framing it not as a reward to Moscow but as a practical measure to redirect oil already on the water toward Asian markets, keeping those nations’ refineries running and applying modest downward pressure on global prices.
The overall message from Wright was consistent throughout the interview: the disruption is real, it is intentional, and it will end. Americans, he said, will feel it for a few more weeks — but the administration believes the long-term result will be a more stable and affordable global energy market.
Source: NBC’s Meet the Press