In a sarcastic remark, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf posed the question: “Lifting sanctions on Iranian oil currently stranded at sea?” He then added:
“Our apologies—we are out of stock,” implying that the entire quantity has already been sold.
These comments come amidst escalating regional tensions and their impact on Iran’s oil exports. Western sanctions continue to restrict Tehran’s ability to export its oil directly; consequently, given the scarcity of global oil supplies, any available shipment is quickly snapped up by international buyers.
Critics say the Trump administration’s decision to halt sanctions on Iranian oil — in a bid to curb soaring energy prices caused by the intensifying war — benefits the very regime the United States is fighting.
“It’s very clear that the Trump administration is trying to alleviate some of these global energy and oil market pressures, but at the same time, what they’re doing is allowing Iran to be able to benefit from that relaxation of sanctions,” former CIA Director John Brennan said on MS NOW’s “The Weekend” on Saturday. “It shows the inconsistencies in these policies.”
Brennan predicted the conflict will last “a long, long time, and it’s going to be very, very dangerous for U.S. national security interests.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the pause in sanctions in a post on X Friday, saying it would add roughly 140 million barrels of oil to global markets. He said Iran “will have difficulty accessing any revenue generated” from those sales, and that the U.S. will essentially “be using the Iranian barrels against Tehran to keep the price down.”
This strategic move has caused confusion, appearing to contradict long-term “maximum pressure” sanctions.
