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US to ease Venezuela sanctions to unlock more oil amid Iran war — reports

The Trump administration is preparing to further loosen sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector—potentially as soon as this week—by issuing more individual licenses to allow foreign firms to operate there and help boost crude production amid the ongoing war in Iran.

March 18, 2026

Akanksha Khushi/Reuters

US to ease Venezuela sanctions to unlock more oil amid Iran war — reports

FILE PHOTO: A fisherman with a small boat and an improvised sail is fishing beside deteriorating oil infrastructure on the shores of Lake Maracaibo, where years of neglect have left rusted pipelines and oil slicks amid concerns raised by fishermen and locals that new private investment in Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA could further harm the fragile ecosystem, in Cabimas, Venezuela, January 27, 2026.

Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters

The Trump administration intends to take additional steps to ease sanctions on Venezuela's oil sector in an effort to increase crude production amid the ongoing Iran war, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the plan.


The moves, which could be announced as early as this week, include issuing more individual licenses allowing foreign companies to work in Venezuela without violating US sanctions, the report said.

-Akanksha Khushi/Reuters

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