Via The New York Times, news that Total, the French oil giant, has decided to back away from planned investments in Iran because of political uncertainty.  As the article notes:

“…Total’s withdrawal from the country, including a planned huge gas project in the South Pars gas field, makes it the last major Western oil company to give up on Iran amid pressure from Washington to stop doing business with Tehran.

The United States, Israel and other Western countries say Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons, but Iran says the program is for civilian purposes.

“We think that under current conditions it is not possible in Iran just now,” said Patricia Marie, a spokeswoman for Total. But she said Total took a long-term view of the country’s strategic importance to its business. “We are still interested in Iran.”

The news was first reported Thursday in The Financial Times, which quoted the Total chief executive, Christophe de Margerie, as saying: “Today we would be taking too much political risk to invest in Iran because people will say: ‘Total will do anything for money.’ ”

Ms. Marie said that to her knowledge there was no pressure on Total from the French government or from Washington to end its business in Iran.

…Ms. Marie said Total would seek to return to Iran when tensions eased, though she said she could offer no timetable. “National Iranian Oil Company is a long-term partner of Total in Iran,” she said. “Our strategy has not changed.”