US Energy Secretary Chris Wright has suggested that reaching a nuclear agreement with Iran may no longer be certain, raising questions about whether the Trump administration still expects diplomacy to succeed. Speaking to ABC News on Sunday, Wright said there may not be a nuclear agreement with Iran. His comments came as fighting between the United States and Iran continues and as Washington faces questions about one of President Donald Trump’s early objectives in the conflict, securing an agreement over Iran’s nuclear programme. Wright said the United States could instead focus on preventing Iran from developing the infrastructure needed for nuclear weapons. Discussing Iran’s nuclear ambitions on ABC’s This Week, he said the approach could involve destroying the country’s ability to pursue such capabilities. The United States has previously attacked sites that it said were connected to Iran’s nuclear activities. Tehran, however, has consistently maintained that its nuclear programme is intended for peaceful energy purposes and that it has no intention of developing nuclear weapons. When asked by ABC co host Martha Raddatz whether the United States might continue military action rather than pursue diplomacy, Wright defended Washington’s operations in Iran. He said US actions were reducing Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons and its capacity to produce missiles that could potentially be used to deliver them. Wright also indicated that a future agreement could become possible if Iran undergoes a change in leadership. He said an agreement could potentially wait until a new administration takes power in Iran, while acknowledging that the outcome remains uncertain. The remarks suggest that hopes for a nuclear settlement between Washington and Tehran may be becoming increasingly difficult to achieve. The latest developments follow the collapse of a memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran in July. Fighting subsequently paused before tensions increased again. Iran has also taken steps involving the Strait of Hormuz, while the United States has imposed a naval blockade. Despite the continued confrontation, the White House has sought to present the situation as less serious in some public statements. President Trump described the conflict on Friday as “small potatoes.” Vice President JD Vance also appeared to play down the situation during recent comments. At a White House briefing on Thursday, he suggested that the fighting had eased and responded to questions about an alleged US strike on a wedding in southern Iran by saying that sometimes things happen. During another briefing this week, Vance said he would not describe the situation as a war and stated that there was no active shooting at that moment. Wright did not provide detailed information about the next steps, but he said the United States would complete its objectives in Iran. He also suggested that other countries could assist efforts to bring the conflict to an end. According to Wright, Washington plans to work alongside its regional allies, with countries from other parts of the world potentially joining the effort as well.