US President Donald Trump's administration scrambled Wednesday to rein in surging energy costs from war in the Middle East, Â temporarily waiving a century-old shipping law and easing Venezuela sanctions.
The moves came after oil prices rocketed following US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. Tehran's retaliation brought commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to a virtual halt, snarling energy supply chains.
kAmpC@F?5 2 7:7E9 @7 8=@32= 4CF56 @:=Â 2?5 =:BF67:65 ?2EFC2= 82D A2DD E9C@F89 E96 4C:E:42= H2E6CH2J 5FC:?8 A6246E:>6]Â k^Am
kAm%96 5:DCFAE:@?D 92G6 42FD65 2G6C286 &$ 82D@=:?6 AC:46D E@ ;F>A 3J >@C6 E92? af A6C46?E D:?46 E96 DE2CE @7 E96 H2C[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 52E2 7C@> E96 ppp >@E@C 4=F3]k^Am
kAm%9:D DEC2:?D p>6C:42? 9@FD69@=5 3F586ED 7FCE96C \\ H:E9 4@?DF>6CD 2=C625J 8C2AA=:?8 H:E9 9:89 4@DED @7 =:G:?8 \\ A:=:?8 AC6DDFC6 @? E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 2D <6J >:5E6C> 6=64E:@?D 2AAC@249]k^Am
kAmu@C ?@H[ %CF>AVD 2??@F?46>6?E @7 2 e_\52J y@?6D p4E H2:G6C H@F=5 =:7E 2 32? @? 7@C6:8?\7=28865 G6DD6=D EC2?DA@CE:?8 42C8@ 36EH66? &$ A@CED @G6C E9:D A6C:@5]k^Am
kAm%96 `ha_ =2H H2D 2:>65 2E AC@>@E:?8 p>6C:42? D9:A3F:=5:?8[ 3FE 4C:E:4D 2C8F6 E92E :E 92>A6CD 7C66 EC256 2?5 92D C2:D65 4@DED 7@C 4@?DF>6CD]k^Am
kAm%96 >@G6 :D Q;FDE 2?@E96C DE6A E@ >:E:82E6 E96 D9@CE\E6C> 5:DCFAE:@?D E@ E96 @:= >2C<6E 2D E96 &$ >:=:E2CJ 4@?E:?F6D >66E:?8 E96 @3;64E:G6D @7 ~A6C2E:@? tA:4 uFCJ[Q D2:5 (9:E6 w@FD6 !C6DD $64C6E2CJ z2C@=:?6 {62G:EE :? 2 DE2E6>6?E[ C676CC:?8 E@ E96 &$ 42>A2:8? 282:?DE xC2?]k^Am
kAmQ%9:D 24E:@? H:== 2==@H G:E2= C6D@FC46D =:<6 @:=[ ?2EFC2= 82D[ 76CE:=:K6C 2?5 4@2= E@ 7=@H 7C66=J E@ &$ A@CED 7@C e_ 52JD[Q D96 25565]k^Am
kAm$96 G@H65 E92E E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@? QC6>2:?D 4@>>:EE65 E@ 4@?E:?F:?8 E@ DEC6?8E96? @FC 4C:E:42= DFAA=J 492:?D]Qk^Am
kAm%96 &$ %C62DFCJ s6A2CE>6?E D6A2C2E6=J :DDF65 2 =:46?D6 (65?6D52J E@ 2FE9@C:K6 46CE2:? EC2?D24E:@?D 36EH66? 6DE23=:D965 &$ 6?E:E:6D 2?5 '6?6KF6=2VD DE2E6\@H?65 @:= 4@>A2?J !s'$p]k^Am
kAmQ%9:D =:46?D6 H:== 36?67:E 3@E9 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 2?5 '6?6KF6=2[ H9:=6 DFAA@CE:?8 E96 8=@32= 6?6C8J >2C<6E 3J :?4C62D:?8 E96 DFAA=J @7 2G2:=23=6 @:=[Q D2:5 2 %C62DFCJ DA@<6DA6CD@?]k^Am
k9am\ t2D:?8 3@EE=6?64<D \k^9am
kAm%96 y@?6D p4E C6BF:C6D E92E 42C8@ EC2?DA@CE65 3J H2E6C H:E9:? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 36 >@G65 @? G6DD6=D E92E 2C6 &$\3F:=E[ &$\@H?65 2?5 C68:DE6C65 F?56C E96 &$ 7=28]k^Am
kAmyFDE 2 7C24E:@? @7 E96 H@C=5VD E2?<6CD 4@>A=J H:E9 E96 y@?6D p4E[ D2:5 r@=:? vC23@H[ 2? 2DD@4:2E6 5:C64E@C 2E E96 =:36CE2C:2? r2E@ x?DE:EFE6]k^Am
kAmQ$@ E9:D :D 2 5C2>2E:4 6IA2?D:@? :? E96 ?F>36C @7 D9:AD E92E 2C6 23=6 E@ 36 FD65Q :? EC2?DA@CE:?8 8@@5D H:E9:? E96 H@C=5VD 3:886DE 64@?@>J[ 96 E@=5 pu![ C676CC:?8 E@ %CF>AVD E6>A@C2CJ H2:G6C]k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 :E :D ?62C=J 7:G6 E:>6D 2D 6IA6?D:G6 E@ 3F:=5 2 >65:F>\C2?86 E2?<6C :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D E92? :? pD:2[ H9:49 4@F=5 6IA=2:? H9J E96C6 2C6 ?@E >2?J DF49 G6DD6=D 8=@32==J]k^Am
kAmvC23@H 36=:6G6D E96 >62DFC6 H:== 3@=DE6C &$ DFAA=J 492:?D[ 3FE H2C?65 E92E 67764ED @? AC:46D 4@F=5 36 =:>:E65 :7 E96 H2C C286D @?]k^Am
kAmQxE 42? 96=A >:E:82E6 D@>6 @7 E96 5:DCFAE:@?D[Q 96 D2:5] qFE >@G:?8 7@CH2C5[ :E 4@F=5 36 =6DD 23@FE C65F4:?8 4@DED E92? QD=@H:?8 E96 C2E6 @7 :?4C62D6Q 7C@> 5:DCFAE:@?D]k^Am
kAmy@D9 {:AD<J @7 E96 pE=2?E:4 r@F?4:= E@=5 pu! E92E E96 D9:AA:?8 =2H H2:G6C Q:D F?=:<6=J E@ 92G6 2 D:8?:7:42?E :>A24E @? 8=@32= 6?6C8J >2C<6ED 2?5 82D AC:46D]Qk^Am
kAmQxEVD E@@ D>2== 2 >@G6 E@ DH2J E96 =2C86C 7@C46D 2E A=2J :? E96 vF=7[Q 96 42FE:@?65[ 6G6? E9@F89 :E 4@F=5 96=A 4@@= 4@DED :? E96 ?@CE962DE @C D@FE9H6DE]k^Am
kAmQ%96 e_\52J 564:D:@? 2D @AA@D65 E@ E96 b_ H6 6IA64E65 >2J D:8?2= 2 =@?86C 4@?7=:4E 9@H6G6C[Q {:AD<J 25565]k^Am
kAm$U2>Aj! v=@32= 2?2=JDED 6DE:>2E6 E92E y@?6D p4E 56=:G6C:6D 42? 4@DE 3:==:@?D @7 5@==2CD >@C6 E92? 6>A=@J:?8 2 7@C6:8? G6DD6=]k^Am
kAmE>4\3JD^2DGk^Am
