The United States will not restrict travel for Muslim pilgrims and will not renew oil waivers for Russia and Iran [1].
These decisions signal a dual approach by the administration to maintain religious freedoms for travelers while tightening economic pressure on sanctioned nations. The move regarding energy waivers specifically targets the flow of petroleum products currently in transit.
Scott Bessent, a senior U.S. Treasury official, detailed these positions during a White House briefing on April 24, 2026 [1, 2]. Addressing the issue of religious travel, Bessent said, "We have no intention of restricting travel for Muslim pilgrims to the Hajj" [1]. Officials said that travel restrictions are unnecessary for religious pilgrimages [1, 2].
On the matter of energy sanctions, the U.S. will not extend permissions for the acquisition of certain oil shipments. Bessent said, "The United States does not plan to renew a waiver allowing the purchase of Russian oil and petroleum products that are currently at sea" [2].
The decision to let these waivers expire is intended to align the U.S. with its ongoing sanctions policy toward Iran and Russia [1, 2]. By preventing the legal purchase of these shipments, the Treasury aims to limit the revenue generated by these governments through global energy markets.
This policy shift comes as the U.S. continues to monitor the movement of sanctioned goods across international waters. The administration maintains that the integrity of the sanctions regime requires a strict adherence to the non-renewal of these temporary permissions [1, 2].
“"We have no intention of restricting travel for Muslim pilgrims to the Hajj."”
By decoupling religious travel from economic sanctions, the U.S. is attempting to avoid diplomatic friction with Muslim-majority nations while simultaneously escalating the financial isolation of Russia and Iran. The refusal to renew oil waivers for shipments already at sea suggests a transition toward a 'zero-tolerance' enforcement phase of energy sanctions, likely increasing volatility for petroleum traders and tightening the global supply of sanctioned crude.
