U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Sunday that the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran could be over within weeks and suggested he expected soaring oil prices to fall back after the war."The American people are feeling the impact now and will continue to feel it in the coming weeks," Wright told host Kristen Welker on NBC's "Meet the Press." "But ultimately, we will eliminate the greatest threat to the global energy supply. We will usher in a world with more abundant energy, more affordable energy, and lower risks to U.S. military and U.S. commerce in the Middle East."
Asked whether "a few more weeks" was his expectation for the length of the war, he added: "I think that's a more likely time frame."
Trump last week said the war was "nearly over," although he said in an interview with Welker on Saturday that Iran was ready to make a deal to end the war but that he would not accept it "because the terms are not good enough."
Wright's comments come as Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz has pushed crude oil prices past $100 a barrel, raising concerns that U.S. and global gasoline prices could continue to rise if the war continues.
Trump posted on social media on Saturday morning that many countries, including France, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom, are "hopeful" to send warships to the vicinity of Iran to help reopen the strait. U.S. allies in Asia, including Japan and South Korea, are scrambling to respond to the energy crisis caused by the war, with little guidance from the Trump administration.
On ABC's "This Week," Wright also refuted Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's assertion that the Trump administration had not adequately planned for Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz.
"He's either ridiculously naive or, which is more likely, he's being deliberately hypocritical," Wright told host Martha Raddatz. "Everyone is aware of the problems in the Strait of Hormuz. We have certainly made careful plans for possible situations in the Strait and response plans."
Wright added that "a number of contingency plans are in place," but did not specify which ones.
The White House is considering a number of measures to bring down oil prices — including possibly repealing a century-old law requiring maritime commerce to use U.S. ships — spearheaded by Chief of Staff Suzy Wells.
The United States last week agreed to release 172 million barrels of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as part of the International Energy Agency's historic emergency release plan; the Treasury Department also eased some sanctions on Russian crude on Thursday to help ease oil prices.
Wright said on NBC that the government hopes to get gas prices below $3 a gallon by summer, but added that "there are no guarantees in a war" and the timetable for price reductions remains unclear.
Administration officials and Trump allies told POLITICO that the White House believes it can withstand high oil prices for four weeks — but even if the war ends, prices are unlikely to quickly return to levels before the United States and Israel began bombing Iran.
On Sunday, Wright dismissed Iran's warning that crude prices could rise to $200 a barrel, telling Welker: "I don't pay any attention to what Iran says."