The UK has loosened crude oil sanctions on Russia due to the disastrous US-Israeli war on Iran. The UK has been very vocal over Russia’s war on Ukraine, but that conviction seems to be slipping as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy channel, hits supplies.

The Guardian reported on 20 May that relaxing the sanctions will allow for:

the import of jet fuel and diesel refined in third countries amid surging costs.

A trade licence came into effect on 20 May which:

permits the imports indefinitely and will be reviewed periodically.

As the Guardian correctly points out the UK has repeatedly committed itself to harsh sanctions on Russia following the illegal 2022 invasion of Ukraine:

For years the UK has led international efforts to put economic pressure on Russia over its war on Ukraine. On Tuesday it signed a G7 statement reaffirming its “unwavering commitment” to imposing “severe costs” on Russia. It had previously announced it would block Russian oil refined in other countries to “further restrict the flow of funds to the Kremlin”.

Under pressure due to the predictable outcomes of the Trump-Netanyahu attack on Iran, that commitment appears to have cracked.

Disappointment in Ukraine

Foreign affairs committee chair Emily Thornberry told the BBC:

I’ve heard from people in Ukraine overnight and I know that they are very disappointed and have been asking me why it is that Britain is doing this.

She said people in Ukraine had fought Russia for many years and looked upon the UK as:

one of their most important allies and they don’t understand… In fact, it seems to have got worse. People feel very let down.”

The terms of the new licence are available to read on the UK government’s website.

And Tory leader Kemi Badenoch was flabbergasted that the Labour government chose buying Russian-sourced oil over drilling the North Sea:

After 18 months of “standing up to Putin” the Labour govt quietly issued a licence allowing imports of Russian oil refined in third countries.

Yesterday Labour MPs voted AGAINST UK oil and gas licences.

We are now importing from Russia instead of drilling in the North Sea.… https://t.co/UBOyWRRiEt

— Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) May 20, 2026

The UK has already deployed ships and personnel as part of a taskforce to open up the Straits. The international focus has been on work-arounds while never talking about the elephant in the room: the US and Israel are to blame for the energy crisis and an end to the attack would be the main step towards alleviating it.

A negotiated settlement

US-Israel attacked Iran first on 28 February without provocation. Iran was offeringunprecedented concessions in negotiations at the time. The Pentagon has sincestated there was no imminent threat from Iran. And the UN’s atomic watchdog, the IAEA, has said there isno evidence Iran was developing a nuclear weapon.

The US has achieved none of its original war aims. Iran predictably closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil channel, once attacked — creating a global energy crisis. Far from being defeated, Iran has said the war will continue until “the enemy’s inevitable and permanent humiliation, disgrace, regret, and surrender”. Trump came to power on an anti-war ‘America First’ ticket. He now faces worldwide humiliation.

Pakistan has made a series of attempts to broker peace. The US-Israeli attack has faltered, with Donald Trump left scrambling for an off-ramp.

Simply put, there is a way to relieve the crisis: an end to hostilities, a negotiated settlement and the restoration of the full rights of those countries under attack. Until then, the tremors of the Iran war will continue to be felt throughout the global economy.

Featured image via Ezra Acayan/Getty Images

By Joe Glenton

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