How much Iranian oil will be lost if Trump scraps the JCPOA?
The range of estimates is wide and the White House isn’t giving much thought to what happens next
President Donald Trump will probably ditch the Iran nuclear deal on 12 May—on that, most everyone seems to agree. But consensus over the impact on oil supply is lacking. More than 1m barrels a day of supply could be lost over the next 18 months. Worse still, the White House might not really have a plan. At stake are US sanctions waivers that have kept a renewed embargo at bay. Trump extended these waivers in January but said he wouldn't renew them again in May unless the European Union and Congress fix parts of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that he doesn't like. The UK, France and Germany, the so-called E3, want to keep the deal running, and so have been trying to find some
Also in this section
5 December 2025
Mistaken assumptions around an oil bull run that never happened are a warning over the talk of a supply glut
4 December 2025
Time is running out for Lukoil and Rosneft to divest international assets that will be mostly rendered useless to them when the US sanctions deadline arrives in mid-December
3 December 2025
Aramco’s pursuit of $30b in US gas partnerships marks a strategic pivot. The US gains capital and certainty; Saudi Arabia gains access, flexibility and a new export future
2 December 2025
The interplay between OPEC+, China and the US will define oil markets throughout 2026






