Trump Approved Waiver For India To Buy Russian Oil: White House

The White House said that US President Donald Trump personally approved a temporary waiver allowing India to purchase Russian oil as part of a broader effort to stabilise global energy markets disrupted by the ongoing US military campaign against Iran.

The decision followed consultations between the President, the Treasury Department and members of the national security team, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

“The President and the Secretary of the Treasury and the whole national security team came to this decision because our allies in India have been good actors and have previously stopped buying sanctioned Russian oil,” Leavitt told reporters in response to a question.

She said the waiver aims to address disruptions in global oil supply caused by the Iran crisis.

“So as we work to appease this temporary gap of oil supply around the world because of the Iranians, we have temporarily permitted them to accept that Russian oil,” she said.

Leavitt clarified that the oil shipments were already at sea before the administration granted the waiver.

“This Russian oil was already at sea, it was already out on the water,” she said.

According to the White House, officials do not expect the temporary arrangement to significantly benefit Moscow financially.

“So this short-term measure, we don’t believe it will provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government at this time,” she said.

Operation Epic Fury Targets Iran’s Military Infrastructure

The briefing also included updates on Operation Epic Fury, the US military campaign targeting Iran’s missile infrastructure and naval capabilities.

Leavitt said the operation had made rapid progress since it began ten days ago.

“The operation has struck more than 5,000 enemy targets so far,” she said.

She added that Iran’s retaliatory capacity had sharply declined.

“Iran’s ballistic missile attacks are down more than 90 per cent, and their drone attacks are down by approximately 35 per cent since the start of Operation Epic Fury,” she said.

US forces have also targeted Iranian naval assets.

“We have destroyed more than 50 Iranian naval vessels, including a major drone carrier ship,” she said, adding that the Iranian navy has been assessed as ‘combat ineffective’.

The administration reiterated that the objectives of Operation Epic Fury remain unchanged.

“The stated objectives for Operation Epic Fury remain the same: destroy the terrorist regime’s ballistic missiles, raise their Iranian missile industry to the ground, ensure their terrorist proxies can no longer destabilise the region, and ensure that Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon,” Leavitt said.

US Pledges to Keep Strait of Hormuz Open

The White House also stressed that the United States would ensure the continued flow of energy through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil shipping routes.

“President Trump reiterated his commitment toward keeping oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz so the United States and all of our allies can receive their energy needs,” she said.

Leavitt added that the administration had already taken steps to stabilise energy markets.

“Thus far, the Trump administration has offered political risk insurance to tankers operating in the Gulf,” she said.

Officials also indicated that the United States Navy could escort tankers if necessary to keep the vital waterway open.

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