A White House official stated that the Trump administration will allow a waiver expiring this weekend to lapse. This waiver had temporarily permitted the purchase of certain types of Iranian crude oil. This action coincides with a U.S. blockade on transit through the Strait of Hormuz, implemented after peace talks failed to yield a breakthrough. The waiver, issued by the U.S. Treasury Department on March 20, is set to expire on Sunday. It applied exclusively to Iranian crude oil and petrochemical products that were already loaded onto ships. The U.S. government had previously allowed a similar waiver to expire; that waiver had permitted the purchase of some Russian crude oil that was otherwise under sanctions. The war involving the U.S. and Israel against Iran has triggered a global energy shock, and the administration has been seeking ways to alleviate price pressures. However, relaxing oil sanctions on Iran and Russia against the backdrop of conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine has also drawn criticism towards President Donald Trump's administration. The White House official stated that the U.S. is seeking to impose strong economic blows on Iran. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright hinted earlier on Tuesday that the U.S. might employ other measures to increase economic pressure on the Tehran regime. In an interview with Fox News, Wright said the blockade is one method "to bring the conflict to an end," but "there could be other ways to apply economic pressure."