US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday that the United States may need to “escalate” its attacks against Iran in order to eventually de-escalate and wind down the war.

“They’re not mutually exclusive. Sometimes you have to escalate to de-escalate,” Bessent said in an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press.

His comments came after President Donald Trump issued seemingly conflicting signals about the direction of the war. On Saturday, Trump warned he would “obliterate” Iranian energy facilities if Tehran failed to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. A day earlier, he said US objectives were “very close” and suggested he was considering winding down the conflict.

Bessent defended the approach, arguing that increased pressure is necessary. “This is the only language the Iranians understand,” he said.

Tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas supplies, have driven energy prices sharply higher, raising concerns about global markets and domestic costs in the United States.

As part of efforts to stabilize markets, Bessent said the US had temporarily lifted sanctions on Iranian and Russian oil already loaded onto tankers. The move has drawn criticism, with opponents arguing it could provide financial relief to Iran during the ongoing conflict.

Bessent defended the decision, saying it was aimed at easing pressure on US allies and limiting Iran’s revenue.

“That Iranian oil was always going to be sold to the Chinese… So which is better? If oil prices spiked to $150 and they were getting 70 percent of that, or oil prices below 100?” he said.

The surge in oil prices has also pushed up fuel costs across the United States, posing potential political risks for Trump ahead of upcoming midterm elections.

Bessent declined to give a timeline for when prices might stabilize. “I don’t know whether it’s going to be 30 days… 50 days… or 100 days,” he said.

“But to have 50 years of peace in the Middle East and know that the Iranian regime is defanged — it will be worth it,” he added.

Separately, Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah, called on Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to avoid targeting civilian infrastructure.

“Iran must be protected. The regime must be dismantled,” Pahlavi said in a post on X, warning that such infrastructure belongs to the Iranian people and a future post-regime state.