WASHINGTON, United States, April 15, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The US Treasury Department said Tuesday it does not plan to renew a temporary easing of sanctions on Iranian oil that aimed to ease war-related supply shocks.

"The short-term authorization permitting the sale of Iranian oil already stranded at sea is set to expire in a few days and will not be renewed," the Treasury Department said in a statement.

It added that it is "maintaining maximum pressure" on Tehran.

The initial authorization allowed for the delivery and sale of Iranian crude and other petroleum products loaded onto ships before March 20, and was to last through April 19.

The step was part of a series of measures launched by the Trump administration to quell skyrocketing energy prices following the start of the war on February 28, including a similar easing of sanctions on Russian oil at sea.

Iran, in response to the US-Israeli attacks, effectively blocked the flow of vessels through the critical Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of global oil and gas supplies flow.

While the United States and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire, recent talks in Pakistan failed to achieve a breakthrough, and President Donald Trump subsequently ordered a blockade of Iranian ports to increase pressure on Tehran.