A viral claim is making the rounds online: that the United States has “withdrawn sanctions on Russian oil for all nations.” That version is catchy, dramatic, and very online. It is also misleading.
What actually happened is narrower. The US Treasury, through the Office of Foreign Assets Control, issued General License 134 on March 12, 2026. It temporarily authorizes the sale, delivery, and offloading of certain Russian crude oil and petroleum products that were already loaded on vessels by March 12, 2026. The license runs only until April 11, 2026.
So this is not a broad sanctions reversal. It is a short-term waiver for cargoes already at sea.
USA withdraw’s sanctions on Russian Oil for all nations. pic.twitter.com/dpqiBFkixp
— Jayess (@Sootradhar) March 13, 2026
This matters because energy markets are already under stress from the wider West Asia crisis. If you have been following the region, our coverage on Iran’s ceasefire demands, the latest Strait of Hormuz diplomatic signals, and India’s fuel stock position during Hormuz disruption all point to the same reality: governments are trying to keep supply chains from snapping.
What OFAC General License 134 Actually Allows
The official text authorizes transactions that are ordinarily necessary for the sale, delivery, or offloading of Russian-origin crude oil and petroleum products loaded on vessels on or before 12:01 a.m. EDT on March 12, 2026. The authorization lasts through 12:01 a.m. EDT on April 11, 2026.
It also covers practical logistics tied to those stranded cargoes, including:
- safe docking and anchoring
- crew health and safety
- emergency repairs
- environmental mitigation and protection activities
- services such as insurance, bunkering, piloting, classification, and salvage
That is a very different thing from saying the US has reopened normal global trade in Russian oil.
You can verify that directly in the text of OFAC General License 134 and the Treasury’s March 12 announcement.
Why the Viral Claim Is Misleading
The social media version leaves out the limitations that matter most.
1. It is temporary
This waiver expires on April 11, 2026. That alone makes it very different from a permanent sanctions rollback.
2. It applies to already-loaded cargoes
The key condition is timing. The oil must have been loaded on vessels by March 12, 2026. This does not create permission for new Russian oil shipments to flow freely worldwide.
3. The broader sanctions architecture is still in place
US sanctions on Russia’s energy-related activities have not been erased. This license only carves out a limited window for specific cargoes and related services.
4. Iran-related restrictions still apply
The license explicitly does not authorize transactions involving Iran, the Government of Iran, or Iranian-origin goods and services where those are otherwise prohibited.
So, the clean fact-check verdict is this:
Claim: The US withdrew sanctions on Russian oil for all nations.
Verdict: Misleading. The US issued a temporary, narrow waiver for already-loaded Russian oil cargoes, not a blanket removal of sanctions.
How This Connects to the Energy Crisis
The timing is not random. Oil markets have been rattled by the broader conflict in the region, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, which remains central to global crude flows. Reuters reported that the move was aimed at helping stabilize energy markets after oil surged above $100 a barrel during the Iran war shock.
That context matters. The US appears to be trying to prevent a supply panic while still keeping its main sanctions framework intact. In plain English, this looks less like “Washington loves Moscow now” and more like “nobody wants an even uglier oil spike.”
For more context on how the current conflict is already affecting trade and shipping, see our earlier reports on the Mayuree Naree cargo ship incident near Hormuz and the India LPG supply crunch linked to the Iran war.
This Was Not the First Limited Waiver
A week earlier, OFAC issued General License 133 on March 5, 2026. That earlier waiver was more specific. It authorized certain deliveries of already-loaded Russian oil to India, with conditions tied to Indian ports and Indian purchasers.
That earlier waiver can be checked in OFAC General License 133, while the broader sanctions framework remains listed on the Treasury’s Russia and Ukraine sanctions page. General License 134 is broader than GL 133 because it is not written only around India. But broader is not the same as unlimited.
What This Could Mean for Markets
In the short term, this waiver could help clear stranded cargoes, reduce immediate bottlenecks, and ease some pressure on oil prices. Reuters also reported that the measure may affect roughly 100 million barrels of Russian crude already on the water.
That said, the policy also creates political friction. European officials have already pushed back on relaxing Russia-related pressure while the war in Ukraine continues. So even if this helps the market breathe for a moment, it also raises questions about how long the current sanctions strategy can hold under a full-scale energy shock.
Final Take
The viral framing is bigger than the reality.
The United States did not fully withdraw sanctions on Russian oil for all nations. It issued a time-limited license that allows the handling and sale of already-loaded Russian oil cargoes through April 11, 2026. That is a meaningful development, but it is not the same thing as reopening unrestricted global trade in Russian crude.
In a crisis, policy language matters. One sentence on X can turn a narrow waiver into a fantasy headline. Treasury’s actual documents tell a much more limited story.
For readers tracking the wider geopolitical fallout, you may also want to read our analysis on what happens inside Iran after Khamenei and our fact check on Dubai “ghost city” claims after Iranian strikes.