US extends waiver for Czech oil pipeline

The US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued a General License extending a sanctions waiver for the Czech Republic's state-owned oil pipeline operator, MERO ČR (JANAF). The license permits JANAF to continue transporting Russian oil, which is crucial for the Czech Republic's energy supply. This move represents a continuation of US policy to provide carve-outs for key European allies dependent on Russian energy, despite broader sanctions. The extension comes amid heightened global tensions and ongoing attacks on commercial shipping in key oil transit routes like the Strait of Hormuz.