The US government has temporarily eased sanctions on Russian oil sales to India to allow oil stranded at sea to reach the country amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.

• A 30-day waiver allows transactions involving oil already at sea, alleviating fears of an energy crisis in India.
• Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated the measure aims to prevent Iran from using global energy as a hostage.
• The waiver could redirect approximately 145 million barrels of Russian crude towards Indian ports, though it doesn't fundamentally alter India's dependency on Middle Eastern supply flows.