The move comes in response to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz – a key chokepoint – amid the escalating US-Israeli war against Iran, which has triggered the most severe global oil supply disruption in recent history. The waiver allows foreign-flagged tankers sitting idle in international waters to start transporting energy products between US ports immediately. The rise in oil prices could hurt Trump and the Republican Party ahead of November’s midterm elections. The Jones Act, passed in 1920 after World War I, aimed to strengthen the US maritime industry, protect American shipping jobs and ensure a reliable fleet for national security and commerce. “Waiving the Jones Act would do nothing to reduce gasoline prices.

Source: The Star March 21, 2026 18:40 UTC