Maximum Pressure Returns: U.S. Targets Shadow Fleet Tankers as Iran Oil Waiver Expires

The Trump administration has snapped back to full “maximum pressure” on Iran’s oil trade, ending a short-lived sanctions reprieve while unleashing a sweeping crackdown on the shipping networks that keep Iranian crude moving.

In a coordinated escalation, the U.S. Treasury on Wednesday sanctioned more than two dozen individuals, companies, and vessels tied to Iranian oil magnate Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, while confirming that temporary waivers allowing Iranian oil sales at sea will expire this week and will not be renewed.

The combined moves mark the clearest signal yet that Washington is shifting from market stabilization back to enforcement.

The Waiver Is Over