US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Sunday that Washington may be unable to reach a nuclear agreement with Iran, suggesting alternatives could include military strikes to destroy Iran's weapons capabilities or waiting for a new Iranian government. Speaking across multiple television networks, Wright also declined to declare the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway through which a significant share of global oil exports passes — unconditionally safe for merchant shipping, acknowledging that US Navy escorts are currently required to move tankers through the region. Diplomatic talks between the two countries appear stalled following the collapse of a June interim ceasefire agreement, with the conflict now past the six-month mark and Senator John Kennedy predicting it will likely still be ongoing come November.