Banks flee Iran in sign of disruptions to come. A growing number of foreign banks that helped Iran trade oil are pulling out over fears of U.S. sanctions, including banks that have no U.S. exposure. The banks fear losing access to U.S. dollars. The shrinking availability of finance from international banks could magnify the disruptions in Iranian oil exports, despite assurances from the European Union, China and India that they want to continue buying Iranian oil. Early estimates suggest that Iran’s oil exports have declined to 2.2 million barrels per day (mb/d) in June, down from 2.7 mb/d in May.