Saturday 17 October 2026 07:30 UTC
Trump blocks tariffs required by Russia sanctions law
Donald Trump blocked the sweeping tariffs required by the Russia sanctions law he signed last month. Waivers protecting Russian energy exports have no fixed end date. US lawmakers introduced a bill to stop the administration’s diesel agreement, while Ukraine warned that energy purchases could weaken wider sanctions and put frozen Russian assets at risk.
Multiple US officials said the Army warned in December that shortages of Patriot and THAAD missile interceptors could last until 2030. The warning cited transfers to Ukraine, missiles used defending Israel and limited industrial capacity. It came two months before the Iran war. The Pentagon called claims of shortages false.
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The US commander for the Middle East said the naval blockade had denied Iran at least $25 billion in oil revenue and halted its seaborne trade except humanitarian shipments. However, Iran has exported 4.1 million barrels of liquefied petroleum gas aboard at least eight tankers since July, with some cargoes probably bound for China. An Iranian jet-fuel shipment also reached Myanmar. Separately, a tanker was struck off Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia, and Iran said another hit a mine in the Strait of Hormuz. The UK maritime authority said many targeted ships were not reporting attacks, making the true number difficult to establish.
Romania resumed searching for seven missing sailors from the Wine Trader, a chemical tanker hit by a drone about a mile outside Romanian waters. Five crew members were rescued. Rough seas had delayed the search. A second tanker, the Yara J, was hit inside Romanian waters; its crew was unharmed and the ship was towed towards Constanța.