The flip side of this coin is that there may be some corresponding diminution of Iranian crude sales. One can only wonder if Iraq or the Gulf states are picking up the slack to the refiners needing crude that may no longer be available from Iran.
One more thought.
It was similar air choking sanctions against Japan that led to the bombing of Pearl Harbor
my thoughts are two fold -
1) Israel since the beginning of this year has been pleading for the international community to levy “crippling” sanctions on Iran, namely targeting their energy sector. Obviously, Russia and China have been getting in the way of that happening. It looks like any new sanctions are going to be watered down. That being said, it looks like sufficient pressure is being applied behind the scenes that, in effect, is hurting the Iranian energy sector.
2) Iran soon may not be a fun place to be, if things start to go “boom”. Maybe these companies suspect a conflict is coming and are bugging out before the fireworks begin.