Ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, March 11, 2026.
Altaf Qadri | AP
The Trump administration on Friday announced a 30-day sanctions waiver for maritime purchases of Iranian oil to ease energy supply pressures since the start of the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.
This is the third time in about two weeks that the US has temporarily lifted sanctions. The United States has previously eased sanctions on Russian crude oil, issuing a general permit on Friday allowing the sale of Iranian crude oil and petroleum products aboard ships from March 20 to April 19, according to a permit posted on the Treasury Department’s website.
“By temporarily opening up existing supplies to the world, the United States will quickly deliver approximately 140 million barrels of oil to global markets, expand global energy capacity, and help alleviate temporary supply pressures from Iran,” Bessent said in a statement on X.
“Essentially, we are going to use Iranian barrels against Tehran to keep prices down as we continue Operation Epic Fury,” Bessent said.
