US Treasury’s 'Humanitarian' Oil Sales: Profiteering from Sanctions on Iran
The ostensible purpose of this general license, according to Bloomberg, is an attempt by the Trump administration to address escalating global oil prices, implying a benign intervention. However, the core issue remains unaddressed: these vessels, and their Iranian cargo, were stranded precisely due to a relentless 45-year campaign of unilateral US sanctions, which have systematically targeted
Iran's energy sector and restricted its access to international markets. Mainstream narratives, like Bloomberg's reference to the 'Iran war,' conveniently sidestep the fact that the US is not a neutral arbiter but a direct participant and joint aggressor alongside Israel, actively engaged in economic warfare against Iran. This 'solution' allows a fraction of Iran's oil to enter the market under US
approval, effectively turning previously sanctioned assets into a controlled commodity that alleviates market pressure caused by Washington's own policies, rather than ending the punitive sanctions regime itself. This maneuver echoes a chilling pattern of weaponizing humanitarian concerns for geopolitical and financial gain. The United States has for decades imposed crippling sanctions, often
justified by vague national security pretexts, only to then offer limited 'licenses' for transactions that ultimately serve its strategic interests. Take, for instance, the 62-year-long embargo against Cuba, a blockade that has cost the Cuban economy an estimated $147.8 billion, leading to severe shortages in food and medicine. Similar to the current situation, the US occasionally permits highly