Besent announced that the U.S. Treasury is issuing a 30-day temporary general license to allow the most vulnerable countries to temporarily access Russian oil currently stranded at sea.
Besent explained, “This extension will provide additional flexibility, and the U.S. will work with these countries to issue specific licenses as needed, helping stabilize the physical crude oil market and ensuring oil reaches nations most vulnerable to energy disruptions.”
“It will also help redirect existing supplies to countries in greatest need by reducing China’s ability to stockpile discounted oil.”
One might say Russia is one of the biggest beneficiaries of the U.S.-Iran conflict.
Besent’s announcement effectively acknowledges that Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz is effective.
The United States is already the world’s largest oil producer, yet domestic gasoline prices continue to rise sharply.
The country’s existing refineries were mostly built decades ago, and they typically achieve higher profit margins processing heavy crude oil—mainly from Canada and Venezuela.
In contrast, domestically produced shale oil is mostly light crude. Forcing it through outdated facilities designed for heavy oil is neither scientifically sound nor economically viable, making it highly unprofitable. Thus, the U.S. essentially sells its own crude oil abroad while importing heavy crude for domestic refining.
To ease supply constraints, this major consumer has recently significantly increased exports of both crude and refined oil, thereby tightening domestic inventories and pushing up domestic gasoline prices.
According to Tasnim News Agency, the U.S. proposed using exemptions from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) under the U.S. Treasury during active negotiations, agreeing to a temporary oil sanction exemption for Iran instead of pre-committing to full sanctions removal.
However, this proposal was rejected by Iran, which insists that permanent removal of all sanctions is the absolute minimum precondition for any agreement—not a temporary measure, since such temporary provisions would expire if negotiations collapse.
Iran seeks a permanent deal, not a stopgap solution.
It remains uncertain whether Iran’s firm stance will reach Trump. He merely emphasized that Iran’s response to peace negotiations was disappointing, stating he “would not” make any concessions to Iran. In a ominous warning, he said Iran knows “what is coming soon.”
When it comes to matters involving the life and dignity of Persians, things are truly difficult to resolve.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865552255883276/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.