The U.S. has extended a “sanctions pause” on Russian oil and oil product shipments to ease fuel shortages caused by the war with Iran.
The Treasury Department said in a statement that U.S. sanctions will not be applied for 30 days to shipments of Russian oil loaded on tankers as of Friday, April 17.
The new license will be valid until May 16
The decision extends an earlier easing of sanctions that expired on April 11. In this way, Moscow, amid the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran, expanded its ability to profit from energy exports, which had been restricted since the invasion of Ukraine.
Notably, on Wednesday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, quoted by Euronews, “ruled out” the possibility of extending the license. Speaking at the White House, he said, “We will not extend the general license for Russian oil, and we will not extend the general license for Iranian oil.”
The Trump administration’s new measure is aimed at addressing global fuel disruptions that occurred after Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz.
