BP, eying Iran, shields US CEO

In a move that shows BP’s ambition to return to Iran, the company is taking great care to protect its CEO Bob Dudley, a US citizen, from sanctions, international media reported on Tuesday.

Dudley has not been included on a new executive committee, made up of non-US nationals, to explore potential opportunities in the Persian Gulf country, Reuters reported.

The report comes a month after Iran said it would invite foreign oil and gas companies to bid for contracts in the country, for the first time since a number of international sanctions against its nuclear programme were repealed earlier this year.

While Total and several other international companies have quickly sought to jump on the opportunity, others including BP have been concerned about the effect of remaining sanctions, including those passed by the US Congress, on their business with the USA.

The uncertainty is further magnified by the November 8 victory of Donald Trump in the US presidential election. During his campaign, Trump sharply criticised the 2015 nuclear deal that lifted some of the sanctions imposed on Tehran.