Trump lifts oil sanctions on Iranian tankers already at sea in bid to stop soaring prices
The US Treasury has authorised the purchase of oil from Iran that is already at sea in a bid to curb skyrocketing prices.
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Despite sanctioning Iran, a new license has been issued by the Trump administration allowing the fuel to be purchased.
If Iranian oil was loaded onto a tanker by 12.01am ET (5.01am GMT), it can now be sold to US buyers.
The authorisation will last until April 19.
The Trump administration had suggested earlier this week that it may unsanction the tankers already in the water.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox Business on Thursday that the move could free up around 140 million barrels of oil, which could otherwise end up in China.
"In essence, we will be using the Iranian barrels against the Iranians to keep the price down for the next 10 or 14 days, as we continue this campaign," Bessent said.
The move comes after the war escalated this week to include strikes on energy sites in Iran, and retaliatory action from the regime against a Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility.
The strikes saw crude oil prices spike to nearly $120-a-barrel, with Iran warning of full-scale economic war against the West.
Pressure is also growing on the Trump administration to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, as fractures emerge over the war inside the White House.
On Wednesday, counter-terror chief Joe Kent quit his White House post and launched a scathing attack on the Trump administration.