Iran's brakes off
The Islamic Republic's ambitious oil and gas schemes will make progress against the background threat of more sanctions
The Iranian oil industry is familiar with being the hostage of the whims of US presidents. Eisenhower's permission for the CIA-inspired coup of 1953 after Mossadeq's nationalisation of oil, Carter's ban on American imports of Iranian crude following the 1979 Revolution, and Clinton's blocking of Conoco's deal to develop the Sirri fields in 1995 were all pivotal moments. Now Donald Trump's wish to scrap the nuclear agreement confronts the country's petroleum industry with an unusually binary future: access to investment and growth, or renewed sanctions. When America's Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was chief executive of ExxonMobil, his company lobbied against sanctions on Iran. Now he work
Also in this section
1 April 2025
There is method to the US president’s apparent madness, and those seeking to understand need look no further than their local bookshop
1 April 2025
Strong economic growth targets are encouraging for the country’s energy demand growth, even if meeting those goals might be a tall order
28 March 2025
The Central Asian country is positioning itself as a low-carbon leader, but antiquated infrastructure and a dependence on Russia are holding it back
28 March 2025
MCEDD 2025 took place in Madrid this week with record attendance and a wide-ranging programme, reflecting the deepwater sector’s renewed momentum, strategic focus and accelerating technological innovation.
