Transcript: Energy Secretary Chris Wright on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” May 10, 2026

The following is the transcript of the interview with Energy Secretary Chris Wright that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on May 10, 2026.

MARGARET BRENNAN: We’re now joined by US Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, good to have you ever right here.

SEC. CHRIS WRIGHT: Great to be right here. Happy Mother’s Day.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Oh, thanks for that. President Trump mentioned that he has anticipated a response from Iran. He mentioned this yesterday. Has one been obtained and what’s the US going to do with it?

SEC. CHRIS WRIGHT: Not that I’m conscious of, however I believe we’ll get a response very quickly. Things are powerful for the leaders of Iran proper now, and I feel they’re- they get rising motivation to make it- make a deal, however we all know the place that is going to finish. We do not know the path to there, however at the finish of the day, we’ll have free circulation of visitors via the Straits of Hormuz, and we could have an finish to the Iranian nuclear program. The finish level we all know. The route, we do not.

MARGARET BRENNAN: The purpose is there, however Prime Minister Netanyahu instructed my colleague Major Garrett, the conflict isn’t over. He mentioned there’s nonetheless work to be completed, ballistic missiles, nuclear program. President Trump instructed Congress that hostilities had been terminated. So is the US view that the conflict itself is over?

SEC. CHRIS WRIGHT: Well, the navy targets that we got down to obtain, and we guided the world to 4 to 6 weeks, and it took about 5 weeks to realize. Those are achieved. The ending of the Iranian nuclear program is a distinct matter, and that is what nonetheless must be achieved, and once more, most probably achieved by negotiation, however would not essentially should be achieved by negotiation.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So the purpose of a battle has not been achieved but, is what you are saying?

SEC. CHRIS WRIGHT: Well, considered one of the main objectives was to degrade their capability to provide missiles, to provide drones, their form of industrial complicated that helps their navy, that has been worn out. Their Navy has been ended. Their Air Force has been ended. Their air protection forces throughout their nation have been ended. Those have been crucial as a result of that was the porcupine that protected their nuclear program in the center of all that. Those have been largely worn out.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You run America’s nuclear program, and- and Prime Minister Netanyahu told- mentioned on- on CBS that Trump needs to go in and get the enriched uranium in Iran. But he did say it is best if you happen to first have an settlement to go in and take it out. So what does that plan seem like? Is that UN nuclear inspectors moving into and grabbing the enriched uranium? Are these your staff and the Department of Energy moving into? Is that the US navy?

SEC. CHRIS WRIGHT: We do not know. That’s what- that is what’s nonetheless but to be decided. It might be any of these, however yeah, it will positively contain folks from the Department of Energy. The nuclear experience in the United States is inside my division. They are prepared, they have been monitoring what’s taking place in Iran, they usually’ve been concerned in the dialogues about, how would we deal with this materials? Where would we take it? What would we do with it? But that could be a crucial factor. Iran has practically 1000 kilos of uranium enriched to 60%, so near weapons grade, method increased than any potential industrial use of it. They’ve lied all alongside that it is for a civil nuclear program. It’s for their very own vitality. It was by no means about that. It was at all times about weapons, and the world simply cannot dwell with a nuclear armed Iran.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, you understand, Iran says they are not pursuing and by no means have, however the IAEA says that is all questionable, after all. But what you simply mentioned there, are you saying the purpose for President Trump is getting Americans on the floor in Iran to get that enriched uranium, maybe the inspectors who work for the Department of Energy?

SEC. CHRIS WRIGHT: No, it is to finish their nuclear program. If it is pulled out by the International Atomic Energy Agency, that is effective too. We have to take away the nuclear materials from Iran and finish their enrichment actions to provide extra of it. There are some ways that may be achieved, however that should be achieved.

MARGARET BRENNAN: And that is open for dialogue now. Let’s discuss what’s taking place with the vitality markets. It was simply three days in the past that three American destroyers have been harassed by Iranian small boats in the strait. Overnight, we did see a Qatari vessel with liquefied pure gasoline cross via the Strait efficiently. Another one was buzzed by a drone. So precisely what’s the standing of this transit level?

SEC. CHRIS WRIGHT: So the United States is obstructing all visitors to and from Iranian ports, and Iran continues to harass all different ship visitors via the Gulf. So there’s two methods the Hormuz factor can finish. One is, identical to with the nuclear factor, one is an settlement with Iran to reopen the visitors and for them to cease their harassment actions.

MARGARET BRENNAN: This is their primary card that they are enjoying.

SEC. CHRIS WRIGHT: That’s their- that is their solely card, primarily. So the US destroyers there and ships beginning to come out, is a superb message to Iran, that a technique or one other, we’ll re-establish free circulation of economic visitors via the Strait of Hormuz.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So they are not going to surrender that card, although, proper? If that is their one factor to play, that’s their level of leverage. So I need to come to this as a result of it has been. Unclear how the Strait of Hormuz goes to be. The stalemate there’s going to be resolved. Last Sunday, President Trump introduced Project Freedom. He mentioned that US ships would information different vessels out of the waterway, beginning the following day. May 5, Project Freedom, lower than 48 hours later, was known as off at Pakistan’s request, based on the President. And then we noticed {that a} day later he mentioned, if Iran did not open the strait, the bombing would restart at a better degree and depth. Then we noticed this harassment that we simply talked about. And then on May 8, the President was requested if mission freedom would resume. He mentioned, I do not assume so. We could return to Project Freedom, however it will be Project Freedom Plus others. So as of this morning, is the United States navy going to start clearing the strait?

SEC. CHRIS WRIGHT: We are actively clearing the strait at present, however we did cease Project Freedom at Iran’s request. As you mentioned, it is their solely card if we militarily reopen the strait, which is a problem. It’s not a one or two day effort that’s- that is an effort to try this. They mentioned, wait a minute, wait a minute, let’s make a deal. Let’s make a deal, we’ll comply with reopen it. Let’s have interaction in the talks about the nuclear program, and let’s make a deal. So this pausing of that navy effort to open the straits is to get a negotiated settlement with Iran. And if we will get a profitable negotiated settlement with Iran, that is nice. That’s an excellent finish to the battle, if we will.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But that takes time. A negotiated settlement takes time. We’re simply speaking about letters going backwards and forwards with a memorandum of understanding. So is the US navy going to clear that strait? Is Project Freedom going to renew anytime quickly,

SEC. CHRIS WRIGHT: If it’s- if it is clear in the subsequent few days that there is not an excellent path to a negotiated settlement, we’ll return to the navy technique to open the strait. The financial stress on Iran proper now’s rising dramatically. Not solely is their authorities in the nation dropping their primary export revenues due to our blockade, but additionally the Economic Fury operation that we launched, beginning only a few weeks in the past, is gathering the monies of the corrupt IRGC leaders that they’ve squirreled away overseas. We are turning the financial stress up on the leaders of Iran to drive their motivation to return to the desk.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But then we’re additionally reducing a deal with those self same IRGC leaders that may enable them to remain in energy, which is form of at odds with this argument that they’re corrupt and horrible and have been for 50 years. But the all-time document excessive in gasoline costs was 5 bucks again throughout the Biden administration in 2022. It lasted, that actual spike, for about eight weeks time. With this battle, you had mentioned final month that costs had already peaked. You suggested the president. What are you warning him now?

SEC. CHRIS WRIGHT: The primary recommendation we’re giving proper now’s 47 12 months lengthy battle, the world merely can not dwell with a nuclear armed Iran. Everyone on this authorities is aware of it. In truth, everybody in the opposition occasion in our nation is aware of that as nicely. That is the- that’s the total goal, not only for peace and freedom, however for vitality markets. A nuclear armed Iran might threaten a serious oil and gasoline producing area without end.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You’re not- you are not saying you’re- you have to come to a nuclear settlement earlier than the Strait of Hormuz is opened, as a result of that might take a whole lot of time. As you understand, nuclear offers are actually complicated.

SEC. CHRIS WRIGHT: Well- Obama made a posh deal as a result of it did not finish their program. Well, you get to maintain the program. You maintain enriching however do it a little bit bit slower and we’ll ship you a bunch of cash. That was clearly a failed factor. President Trump is a a lot clearer, black and white, stronger chief, which suggests we will finish your nuclear program. It’s not a loopy lengthy negotiation. It could take per week, it might take just a few weeks, however that is not a many months lengthy negotiation. We’re going to finish the nuclear program.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But gasoline costs haven’t peaked at this level.

SEC. CHRIS WRIGHT: I do not know the way forward for gasoline costs.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, they climbed over the previous week. We’re additionally listening to from the airline foyer. Ticket costs aren’t going to go down in the summer season or the fall. Saudi Aramco CEO mentioned reopening routes isn’t the similar as normalizing a market disadvantaged of a billion barrels of oil. None of those issues are going to finish rapidly.

SEC. CHRIS WRIGHT: Ending the Iran nuclear program is a troublesome problem, as you are rightfully declaring. Is there brief time period dislocation from that? Absolutely, however we have to make that commerce off, or we have now a long run menace to peace in the area, long run menace to vitality provides, long run menace to Americans.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Energy Secretary Wright, thanks on your time this morning.

SEC. CHRIS WRIGHT: Thank you, Margaret.

MARGARET BRENNAN: We’ll be proper again.