As the U.S. moves closer to pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal and re-imposing sanctions, Iran could see some of the recent progress in its energy industry being rolled back. The Iran nuclear deal in 2015 was an economic windfall to the country, removing international sanctions and opening up Iran to greater engagement with the rest of the world. Crucially, the deal promised to pave the way for more investment from international oil companies, something Iran desperately needed in order to develop new oil and gas fields. Yet, some lingering sanctions and uncertainty from U.S. policy clouded the prospects of investment in Iran. Most western oil companies stayed away even after the nuclear accord was signed. Only French oil giant Total SA rolled the dice, signing a deal to develop the next phase of the massive South Pars gas field in the Persian Gulf, in partnership with China’s […]