US Treasury open to lifting sanctions on shadow fleet tankers sold to legitimate buyers, TASS and RIA report citing FT

Russian state news agencies TASS and RIA Novosti, citing the Financial Times, report that Washington is considering letting legitimate operators buy blacklisted tankers linked to Russia and Iran, after which the ships could be freed from sanctions. According to TASS, a Treasury spokesperson told the FT that the Office of Foreign Assets Control was prepared to review licence requests from genuine buyers and lift sanctions case by case. TASS says Energy Secretary Chris Wright raised the issue at a conference in Riyadh earlier in the week, and cites an Energy Aspects estimate that 13–19% of the global tanker fleet is under US sanctions. The FT suggests the step would do little to lower diesel prices, TASS adds.

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