U.S. Treasury Halts Russian Oil Deals with Cuba, Iran, North Korea

The U.S. Treasury revised a key export license on Thursday. The change restricts some sales of Russian oil until April 11.

What changed in the license

The previous authorization was known as license 134. The Treasury replaced it with license 134a.

The new license bars transactions involving entities and individuals from Cuba, Iran, North Korea. It also covers Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.

Context for the modification

The earlier license had been approved just over a week before. It aimed to ease an oil squeeze tied to disruptions at the Strait of Hormuz.

Observers say recent tanker movements prompted closer scrutiny. Tracking sites and open-source data helped monitor the ships.

Ships under scrutiny

Sea Horse

The Sea Horse sails under a Hong Kong flag. It carried just under 200,000 barrels of crude oil.

Tracking records show the vessel altered course early Friday. It moved away from Cuba toward Trinidad and Tobago.

The ship had paused mid-Atlantic last month. It then disappeared from tracking for about three weeks.

Anatoly Kolodkin

The Anatoly Kolodkin is a Russian-flagged tanker. Data indicate it left the Baltic Sea on March 9.

A warship escorted it toward the English Channel. British navy reports say it later proceeded alone.

Its intended destination was the Cuban port of Matanzas by the end of March. Both the vessel and its owner face U.S. sanctions.

Enforcement and naval posture

U.S. Coast Guard sources told reporters that regional control remains a priority. Forces under U.S. Southern Command continue patrols in the Caribbean Sea and the Florida Strait.

Analysts framed the license change within wider U.S. Treasury halts of Russian oil deals with Cuba, Iran and North Korea. Sanctions and naval presence increase the risk of interdiction.

Impact on Cuba’s energy shortage

Industry experts doubt a single delivery would solve Cuba’s crisis. Refining facilities on the island are often unreliable.

Jorge Pinon, a former oil executive and researcher at the University of Texas, estimated impact. He said 730,000 barrels could provide fuel and power for roughly one month.

Sanctions, logistical hurdles, and limited refining capacity make successful large-scale deliveries uncertain. Monitoring of tanker routes continues.