Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

The United States has granted India a 30-day temporary permit allowing the sale of Russian oil on tankers at sea, aiming to ease pressure on the global oil market, AzerNEWS reports.

Earlier, a source told agencies that India had requested approval from the U.S. administration to continue importing Russian oil in the context of rising tensions with Iran.

Meanwhile, Indian oil refineries are urgently purchasing millions of barrels of Russian crude due to supply disruptions amid the ongoing conflict involving Israel, the U.S., and Iran, according to six sources familiar with the situation who spoke to Reuters.

Data from Bloomberg indicates that Russian oil shipments to India have resumed despite ongoing geopolitical tensions. Vessel tracking shows that two shipments originally bound for East Asia are now being redirected to India.

Recently, Indian refiners had scaled back imports of Russian oil under pressure from the United States. However, the worsening situation in the Middle East and potential disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz have created new risks to maintaining stable oil supplies, Bloomberg reported.

Analysts note that this temporary permit reflects India’s strategic balancing act: securing energy supplies while managing relations with the United States and navigating volatile Middle Eastern geopolitics. Some experts suggest that India may increasingly turn to flexible tanker deals and on-the-sea transactions to diversify its oil sources, a trend that could influence global oil trade patterns in the coming months.