Trump Denies Granting Iran Any New Oil Waiver
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U.S. President Donald Trump has denied granting Iran any new oil waiver, seeking to contain confusion in energy markets as speculation grows over a possible U.S.-Iran agreement.
The denial comes at a sensitive moment. Trump said U.S.-Iran negotiations were in their “final stages,” a comment that helped push oil prices down by about 6% on Wednesday. Brent crude settled at $105.02 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate fell to $98.26. Despite the diplomatic tone, Trump also warned that military action remained possible if Tehran did not agree to a deal.
The key point is the difference between market expectations and official U.S. policy. In March, the Trump administration issued a limited 30-day waiver allowing the delivery, sale, and purchase of Iranian oil already loaded on tankers at sea. The move was designed to ease pressure on energy prices after supply disruptions, but it was temporary and did not amount to broad sanctions relief for Iran’s oil sector.
In April, U.S. administration sources told Reuters that Washington would not renew the waiver for Iranian oil at sea. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent later said renewing the Iranian waiver was “totally off the table,” adding that the blockade meant there was “no oil coming out” of Iran.
The tougher message continued this month when the U.S. Treasury announced new sanctions linked to Iranian oil shipments to China. Bessent said the administration would keep using sanctions to deny Iran’s government and military funding for weapons, its nuclear program, or regional proxies.
For that reason, Trump’s latest remarks do not signal a broad opening for Iranian oil. Instead, they reflect the difficult balance Washington is trying to manage: calming energy markets while maintaining pressure on Tehran.
The issue matters far beyond U.S.-Iran relations. Any shift in Iranian oil policy can quickly affect fuel prices, Gulf shipping routes, and global energy costs. It also raises a larger question for the next stage of diplomacy: would a possible agreement lead to wider sanctions relief, or would it remain a narrow political understanding without immediate changes to the oil sanctions regime?
