According to the U.S. Treasury Department, a 30-day general license lets energy-vulnerable countries access Russian oil cargoes stranded at sea, aiming to ease supply disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz closure.
The United States has extended for another 30 days a sanctions waiver, issued as a temporary general license by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, allowing energy-vulnerable countries to purchase Russian-origin crude and petroleum products stranded at sea. The authorization applies to cargoes loaded on tankers as of April 17, 2026, and was described by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as a measure to stabilize the physical crude market and support countries hit by supply disruptions tied to the war with Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. First issued in March and renewed again during the conflict, the waiver temporarily permits covered transactions without breaching U.S. sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil. Critics including Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Elizabeth Warren said the move boosts Kremlin oil revenue and helps finance Russia’s war against Ukraine, while analysts said it may help vulnerable importers but is unlikely to lower U.S. gasoline prices.