US Authorizes Iranian Oil Sales Amid Talks on Final Nuclear Peace Deal

The United States authorised sales of Iranian oil on Monday as negotiations between Washington and Tehran moved toward what officials characterised as a final agreement on Iran's nuclear programme, Reuters confirmed. The decision marks one of the most significant shifts in US Iran policy in years, amounting to a practical suspension of the oil sanctions regime that had dramatically curtailed Tehran's export revenues.

Vice President JD Vance stated that the US would take steps to ensure any unfrozen Iranian funds would not be channelled toward financing terrorism — a key concern among US allies and regional partners. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to visit Gulf countries beginning Tuesday, with the Strait of Hormuz and regional security top of the agenda, according to NDTV.

Markets responded positively. Wall Street held near record highs as oil prices eased on hopes that increased Iranian supply would soften global crude benchmarks, The Times of India reported. The development is particularly consequential for India, which before US sanctions had relied heavily on discounted Iranian crude to power its refineries.

However, Hindustan Times cautioned that the Middle East is unlikely to stabilise quickly, with Iran's continued leverage over the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly 20% of global oil passes — remaining a structural risk. NSA Ajit Doval held talks with Iran's top security official earlier on Monday amid the ongoing Middle East tensions, signalling that New Delhi is closely monitoring developments that carry direct consequences for India's energy security.