US Extends Russian Crude Sanctions Waiver to June 17 — Indian Refiners Get Lifeline

Sanctions, SDN List & Indian Refiner Compliance

• OFAC General Licenses are time-bound carve-outs from broader sanctions; GL 134C replaces GL 134B and is enforceable under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), 1977.
• SDN List entries (Rosneft, Lukoil) trigger secondary sanctions — non-US parties (Indian refiners, Greek tankers, P&I clubs) face being cut off from USD clearing and SWIFT messaging.
• India’s response is anchored in strategic autonomy (MEA position) and the absence of any UN Security Council Chapter VII Resolution sanctioning Russian oil — only US unilateral measures.
• Strait of Hormuz transit is governed by Article 38 of UNCLOS, 1982 (right of transit passage through international straits) — Iran is signatory but not a party to ratification of UNCLOS Annex.

CLAT Angle — Sanctions Law & Energy Security

Examiners pair this with the Trump-era OFAC tightening on Iran and the older CAATSA Section 231 waivers India received in 2018-19 for S-400 purchases. Expect a comprehension passage on “unilateral sanctions versus multilateral UN sanctions” and a Legal Reasoning principle problem applying secondary sanctions to a hypothetical Indian PSU.

Key Facts & Figures

Mnemonic — “R-O-S-E”

Rosneft & Lukoil on SDN list · OFAC GL 134C · Strain of Hormuz transit · Extended to 17 June.

Practice Quiz — 10 CLAT-Style Questions

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