US Treasury Allows Sale of Some Iranian Oil Stranded on Vessels - Bloomberg.com

Bloomberg.com
March 21, 2026
3 min read

Quick Insights

The Bottom Line

The U.S. Treasury Department authorized the sale of Iranian oil stranded on vessels, representing a shift in sanctions enforcement under the Trump administration.

AI Summary

The U.S. Treasury Department has authorized the sale of Iranian oil that has been sitting on vessels, according to Bloomberg. The decision represents a shift in enforcement of sanctions against Iran, allowing crude held on tankers to be sold rather than remaining stranded indefinitely. The move could provide Iran with liquidity while potentially easing supply concerns tied to the oil sitting idle on ships. This decision reflects evolving U.S. policy on Iranian sanctions enforcement during the Trump administration's second term. The specifics of which vessels, volumes, and timeframes for the sales remain unclear from available reporting.

What's Being Done

The U.S. Treasury Department issued authorization for the sale of stranded Iranian oil on tankers.

Source Coverage Map

12 of 43 tracked sources covered this story

Overlooked Story
28% coverage
Did Not Cover (31)
ICIJ97AP World News96AP News96AP US News96ProPublica95+26 more

Following this story?

Get notified when new coverage appears

Should this be getting more attention?

You Might Have Missed

Related stories from different sources and perspectives

US may remove sanctions on Iranian oil stranded in tankers, treasury secretary says
Politics

US may remove sanctions on Iranian oil stranded in tankers, treasury secretary says

<p>US treasury secretary says actions will increase oil supply and bring down prices, but long-term effects in question</p><p>The US may soon remove sanctions on Iranian oil stranded on tankers at sea, the treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, said on Thursday as Washington seeks to curb prices soaring over Iran’s closure of the strait of Hormuz.</p><p>“In the coming days, we may un-sanction the Iranian oil that’s on the water. It’s about 140m barrels,” Bessent said during an appearance on Fox Business Network’s Mornings with Maria.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/19/us-sanctions-iranian-oil-hormuz">Continue reading...</a>

The Guardian US NewsMar 20
US issues new 30-day waiver for sale of Russian oil, adding Cuba, N.Korea exceptions - Reuters
Politics

US issues new 30-day waiver for sale of Russian oil, adding Cuba, N.Korea exceptions - Reuters

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuwFBVV95cUxPRDB6UGR1WlowRnRFMUgxMnZGcEJZQlI5RTNSVUFITzdhWmpCNzFHQkxPQ1pVN1RoY2VwRlRpYUNfRUZUT0c1ekRLVzNPMHZlbXlRNzdZUTAyanhuU1hnbXhkMXRIOVR6YkJPeFpxWkwxQUpwNDRDWURMOXBreE15SDZ0aVJnZWN2WHZiOTV2ZG5WTk5UWXRpNlhtLTczODRsMzFFQV9XZ2owTU55QUVqaGszQ2NuQVJqUlcw?oc=5" target="_blank">US issues new 30-day waiver for sale of Russian oil, adding Cuba, N.Korea exceptions</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">Reuters</font>

ReutersMar 19
Treasury Department begins taking over student loans as the Education Department gets dismantled - AP News
Government Transparency

Treasury Department begins taking over student loans as the Education Department gets dismantled - AP News

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxPSzNSMVgyM3lObzg0Y2NrYnZ3bTdnVFJfSHk4OFFGM0RSN0NDTjVvaDF0anFpZUJyUlZIaWVVcFNqM28tQ2RlNU9GMmdGMGFwc2FBU3NfaUlwZVhIa1RDQkJSd2xRY240Rk85VTV1VWhuam5fT0pCQkE4dW9zd2FHNU5jeFBuUmpOcWZ1REJTMmJJVjF3MWVzVDVlaVhwdDJIb2RFSDM0REVzZGJn?oc=5" target="_blank">Treasury Department begins taking over student loans as the Education Department gets dismantled</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">AP News</font><strong><a href="https://news.google.com/stories/CAAqNggKIjBDQklTSGpvSmMzUnZjbmt0TXpZd1NoRUtEd2liMU4zZkVCSEs1QzduTHR5bXpDZ0FQAQ?hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en&oc=5" target="_blank">View Full Coverage on Google News</a></strong>

AP NewsMar 20
Contentious Alaska oil, gas drilling rights sale generates record revenue
Environment

Contentious Alaska oil, gas drilling rights sale generates record revenue

The Trump administration said this week that its recent sale of the rights to drill in a contentious area of Alaska generated record revenue for federal oil and gas lease sales. The news signals optimism from the oil industry that high energy prices could persist — as expanding oil and gas drilling can be years-long…

The HillMar 19
Treasury Says Cuba Can’t Get Russian Oil as Ship Heads to Island - Bloomberg.com
Global

Treasury Says Cuba Can’t Get Russian Oil as Ship Heads to Island - Bloomberg.com

Bloomberg.comMar 19
US targets mine-laying vessels in the Strait of Hormuz amid disruption of oil traffic
National Security

US targets mine-laying vessels in the Strait of Hormuz amid disruption of oil traffic

Pentagon zeroing in on mine-laying vessels that are helping Iran keep a stranglehold on Strait of Hormuz, military leaders said, as markets feel pain from its closure.

ABC NewsMar 20
Read Next
The U.S. weighs lifting Iranian oil sanctions to keep price in check
Finance

The U.S. weighs lifting Iranian oil sanctions to keep price in check

<p>The White House is considering lifting <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/06/27/trump-khamenei-iran-sanctions-relief-israel" target="_blank">sanctions</a> on Iranian oil that's at sea to keep oil prices down, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> The administration is pulling out all the stops — even easing up an economic threat to its enemy in war — to keep down oil prices.</p><hr><p><strong>The latest: </strong>The price of Brent crude, the global benchmark, spiked 10% in just the past 24 hours, driving increasing worries among investors.</p><ul><li>Brent is now around $111 per barrel — nearly 60% higher than pre-war levels.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong> "In the coming days, we may unsanction the Iranian oil that's on the water," <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2034613274453393437" target="_blank">Bessent told </a>Fox Business Thursday morning. </p><ul><li>He said that would make up about 140 million barrel...

Continue reading

Did this story change how you see things?

Stories like this only matter when people see them. Help us get verified journalism in front of more eyes.

Share this story

Get the daily digest

Save for later

The Verity Ledger curates verified investigative journalism from trusted sources only.

See our sources