The Trump administration has extended a wartime shipping waiver for another 90 days, a move that points to one uncomfortable reality behind the Iran crisis: Washington is still preparing for fuel, fertilizer, and other supply pressures while the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed.
The Associated Press reported Monday that President Donald Trump extended a Jones Act waiver allowing foreign ships to move goods between U.S. ports, including oil, fertilizers, and other fossil fuel products. The new extension takes effect August 17.
The Jones Act normally requires cargo moving between U.S. ports to travel on ships that are U.S.-built, U.S.-owned, and largely U.S.-crewed. Trump first waived the law on March 17 after the war with Iran began, arguing that the restriction had to be loosened to move fuel more easily and reduce price pressure inside the United States.
A narrower waiver, but a longer crisis
This latest extension is not a simple repeat of the earlier waiver. AP reported that the Pentagon will now consult with the Maritime Administration to decide which voyages qualify. The exemption is limited to energy sources and agriculture-related commodities such as fertilizers and soybean oil.
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said the move was meant “to ensure our military and key industries maintain uninterrupted access to critical resources,” according to AP and CBS News. She also said the waiver had increased domestic deliveries of gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.
The timing matters. The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints, has remained effectively closed because of the Iran war. AP framed the extension as a sign that the U.S. may be preparing for continued price pressure while the waterway stays disrupted.
That makes this more than a domestic shipping-policy tweak. It is another indicator that U.S. officials do not expect the Hormuz shock to disappear immediately, even as negotiations involving Iran and Oman continue and Washington keeps pressing for restored commercial shipping.
Energy prices are still shaping the Iran war
CBS News reported Monday afternoon that the waiver covers foreign ships moving oil, fertilizers, and other fossil fuel products between U.S. ports, and said the extension suggests the administration is planning around continued strain from the Hormuz closure.
TIME reported last week that the existing waiver was already on track to become the longest Jones Act suspension in U.S. history by August 16. The outlet also reported that 196 voyages had been conducted under the waiver through late July, citing government data, while critics in the maritime industry argued the policy offers limited relief at the pump and weakens U.S. shipping interests.
Supporters of the waiver see it differently. They argue that the U.S. needs flexibility while the Iran war scrambles normal energy flows and raises costs for consumers, farmers, industry, and the military.
The extension lands as the broader Iran crisis remains stuck between diplomacy and economic pressure. Trump has added new compensation demands against Tehran, while Iran continues to say a full reopening of Hormuz depends on U.S. concessions, including sanctions relief, an end to threats, and compensation for war damage.
For now, the waiver signals that the White House is hedging against a long disruption. Even if a Hormuz deal emerges, shipping flows and fuel markets may not snap back overnight.
Sources: Associated Press, CBS News, TIME.