US energy secretary to tour Gulf amid oil market pressure, Iran talks
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright is expected to meet with several Gulf leaders during his trip as the region grapples with lower oil prices after President Donald Trump imposed universal tariffs last week.
US Energy Secretary Christopher Wright will begin a nearly two-week trip to the Middle East on Wednesday, with scheduled stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
The trip will mark Wright’s first official visit to the Gulf region as energy secretary and his first direct engagement with Saudi Arabia, the most powerful member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
Reuters reported April 7, citing sources familiar with the matter, that Wright, who previously was chairman and CEO of US fracking company Liberty Energy, will meet some of the countries’ leaders.
Why it matters: Wright’s Middle East visit comes on the heels of President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement Monday that the United States and Iran will hold direct talks on Tehran’s nuclear program. The talks will happen on Saturday, Trump told reporters at the Oval Office, but he did not specify their location. However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X Tuesday that indirect talks with the United States will take place in Oman.
