An administration official said Wednesday the Trump administration is
considering easing sanctions on so-called 'shadow fleet' vessels that previously
carried oil and petroleum products from Russia, Iran and Venezuela, aiming to
reduce global shipping rates, which remain at historic highs. The official said
discussions focus on whether to allow previously sanctioned ships to transport
'legitimate oil'—crude or products not subject to U.S. sanctions, explicitly
excluding sanctioned Russian or Iranian cargoes—to push more crude and refined
flows out of the Gulf region. The move follows Trump’s recent temporary waiver
of sanctions on Russian diesel, a decision criticized by Ukrainian President
Zelenskiy, several European governments and some Republican senators.
