美国财政部于10月8日对伊朗所谓“影子舰队”的17艘船只实施制裁。这支老旧的油轮网络非法将伊朗原油、石油和石化产品运往海外市场。不到一周后，据报道，政府正考虑放宽对影子舰队船只的制裁，允许它们运输不受制裁的石油，以期降低创纪录的高企运费。一名美国官员告诉路透社，这些讨论包括可能“逐艘”解除对油轮的制裁，以便它们易手。
The U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on 17 of Iran’s so-called shadow-fleet vessels on Oct. 8. The aging network of tankers illicitly transports Iranian crude oil, petroleum and petrochemical products to foreign markets. Less than a week later, the administration was reportedly considering easing sanctions on shadow-fleet vessels and allowing them to carry oil not subject to sanctions in an effort to bring down record high freight rates. Those discussions, a U.S. official told Reuters, include the possibility of lifting sanctions on tankers “on an individual basis” so they can change hands.
全面解除制裁将是一种退让，但允许个别船只易手可能是一项明智的策略。华盛顿应为美国盟友运营商创造激励，收购伊朗黑市上的船只，并让它们在霍尔木兹海峡合法运营。
A blanket lifting of sanctions would be a retreat, but enabling individual ships to change hands could be a smart strategy. Washington should create incentives for U.S.-aligned operators to buy ships out of Iran’s black market and put them to legitimate use in the Strait of Hormuz.