Shell said it had signed a preliminary deal with Iran’s state oil company. Above, Shell… LONDON— Royal Dutch Shell PLC on Wednesday said it had signed an agreement with Iran’s state oil company to explore future projects, signaling that giant energy companies are unlikely to be deterred by President-elect Donald Trump’s pledge to undo the Iran nuclear deal . Shell is the largest company to wade back into Iran since the U.S. and other world powers lifted sanctions in January in exchange for Tehran putting strict limits on its nuclear program. The British-Dutch firm follows France’s Total SA, which last month signed a $4.8 billion deal to develop a large natural-gas field in Iran and now is negotiating an oil deal. Wednesday’s agreement could help open a new chapter in the turbulent history of Iran’s oil sector, which has been marked by waves of nationalizations and successive sanctions. Shell […]