WANA (Mar 21) – The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced on Friday that it has issued a 30-day license permitting the delivery and sale of Iranian-origin crude oil and petroleum products currently stored on tankers.

 

The U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had previously suggested such a move could be imminent. “In the coming days, we may lift sanctions on approximately 140 million barrels of Iranian oil,” he stated.

 

However, the claim has been challenged by Iranian officials. Saman Ghodousi, spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Oil, said in a post on the social media platform X that Iran currently does not have surplus crude oil stored offshore or additional volumes available for international markets.

 

He added that the remarks by the U.S. Treasury Secretary were “primarily aimed at influencing market sentiment and giving reassurance to buyers,” rather than reflecting actual supply conditions.