we'll talk about that later with dan yergin. but when you look at oil, china, you see iran saying no more exports to britain and france. what impact will that have to the chinese and the indians are prepared to come in there and buy all they can get. am i right or wrong? >> i think that in fact you know we've had a set of very important dialogues with all of the major consumers of oil around the world. china, india, japan. and they general share our strategic goals, that's very important. >> rose: strategic goals being we do not quantity them to have a nuclear capability. >> that's right. >> rose: they share the goldman but do they share the means to get there. it has to do with sanctions, oil embargoes. >> we're seeing that many of our partners around the world are taking very seriously the need to move away from dependence on iranian suppliers of oil. and are looking for -- >> rose: they are prepared to take some of the burden. >> there are a number of things in the oil market that should be seen as positive. libyan oil suppli

. >> that tends to happen, although with the brilliant dan yergin i'm not going to forecast the price culture wars have gone so far to the right, that in the general election, that kind of a focus could really kill them. they will have to try to find a way to return to the economic debate. but with economic numbers looking a little bit better, it's hard to find something to peg that on. so the oil price could be the issue. if they are smart, they will raise the keystone pipeline. >> as don rumsfeld said, you fight the war with the army you have. their army is gas prices. here's yesterday on fox news. newt gingrich, who always knows how to exploit an issue, pledged to drive down gas prices under his leadership. let's listen to him. >> what i can guarantee you is, the obama program is higher prices, more dependency in the middle east, more vulnerability to iraq. can we get to $2.50. it was $1.89 when obama was sworn in. it's not an inconceivable number. it can be done. >> his boogeyman is us. is there anything he said that's true? >> if he can change the outcome in the middle east, if h

with us now dan yergin, he is the author of a great book, "the quest, energy security and remaking theand he's cnbc's global energy expert. it's great to have with us. let's talk oil prices and how much of this is what's going on with concerns in iran? >> most of it as a result of what's happening in iran. we entered a new phase really late last year when the u.n. came out and said iran is going towards a nuclear weapons capability and then, of course, all of the threats that have come from iran, expectations, the cutbacks are coming, and it's a rather tight oil market. so, all of that together is what's driving prices. >> okay, walk us through the permutations in your mind of what will happen over, let's say, the next month or two. the short term, unless you want to go longer term. >> no. i think over the next month we are on track for oil prices to continue to go up. i think what we're seeing now is, of course, oil prices, gasoline prices are now becoming political issue in the united states and any continue they co up, we'll see greater pressure to use the strategic oil reserve whic