The United States is considering moves to ease restrictions on “shadow fleet” tankers linked to Russia and Iran, as it struggles to bring down soaring diesel prices ahead of November’s midterm elections, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. “The moves include potentially allowing the sale of blacklisted vessels to legitimate operators and lifting sanctions that would allow them to operate without restriction, people familiar with the matter told the FT.

“The controversial move to lift sanctions on the vessels, designed to increase shipping capacity for oil and refined fuels and lower record-high freight rates that are adding to soaring fuel costs, was raised earlier this week by Chris Wright, U.S. energy secretary, at the World Petroleum Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“A Treasury department official said the Office of Foreign Assets Control may consider authorizing the sale of shadow fleet vessels to ‘legitimate buyers’ and allowing them to operate in the global market ‘on a case-by-case basis.’”