What fresh Iran-US tensions mean for oil & gas sector

SEVERAL weeks into the Donald Trump presidency, and the tensions between the United States and Iran are back in the limelight. At end-January, Iran conducted a ballistic missile test, which prompted the US to impose fresh sanctions on that country.

In typical fashion, President Trump tweeted that Iran was "playing with fire" by conducting the test, adding "they don't appreciate how 'kind' (former) President (Barack) Obama was to them. Not me!"

In February, it emerged that an Iranian general barred from foreign travel by the UN Security Council had visited Russia. Two big themes of the Trump administration - Islam and Russia - are intertwining. That has raised concerns that further action by the Trump administration may hurt oil supply from Iran, triggering a slight jump in oil prices.