Questions answered

Questions answered

The questions our published briefs answer that touch Iran.

Filter the questions Domain · Series
Domain Series

About Iran (primary)

Scenario Brief · S-001 · 16 questionsIran, the Strait of Hormuz, and a renewed strike

Geopolitical
Does the United States or Israel strike Iran again between 22 August and 20 November 2026?

“Likely, as registered on 21 August 2026: 61% that US or Israeli forces strike Iran by 20 November 2026, our estimate, scored when it resolves; on 21 August the strait was shut by permit.”

our estimate, scored when it resolves

On the register: F-0074 61%, open · F-0073 72%, superseded, scored. The forecast register

Affected United States, Israel

Geopolitical · Geoeconomic
How do US designations and the London market's transit-fee condition bear on cover for a Hormuz transit?

“Washington's designations do not cite the London condition, the condition does not cite them, and Tehran's requirement cites neither.”

The brief’s reading of the evidence; not a registered forecast.
Affected United States +2
Geopolitical
What would move the view of a renewed strike?

“If a US principal states that energy infrastructure is off the target list, or the measures of 19–20 August are formally presented as the substitute for military action, or a dated instrument replaces the lapsed understanding, our view falls”

The brief’s reading of the evidence; not a registered forecast.

Affected United States, Israel

Country Outlook · C-002 · 21 questionsIs any single future for Iran likely?

Geopolitical
Is any single future for Iran likely?

“No. The most likely of six registered futures, a Guard-run holding pattern, stands at 13.74%, our estimate, scored when it resolves; about 43% lies outside all six.”

our estimate, scored when it resolves

On the register: F-0020 14%, open · F-0008 12%, open · F-0009 12%, open · F-0010 9%, open · F-0011 6%, open · F-0021 4%, open. The forecast register

Affected United States, Israel

Geopolitical
Has the new Supreme Leader been seen since his appointment?

“As of 30 September 2026 no confirmed footage of him had been released since the appointment, according to Wikipedia's article on him (second-hand, retrieved 30 Sep 2026), which also records written messages attributed to him and read on state television.”

The brief’s reading of the evidence; not a registered forecast.
Geoeconomic
Does the Strait of Hormuz stay open to normal commercial traffic?

“Crude through Hormuz reached a seven-day average of 13.5 mb/d to 28 Sep 2026, matching the pre-war baseline, under US military escorts and ship-to-ship transfers (Kpler, via CNBC, 30 Sep 2026).”

The brief’s reading of the evidence; not a registered forecast.
Affected Saudi Arabia +5
Geoeconomic
Does Gulf infrastructure stay inside the war's range?

“Airports, fuel tanks and at least one desalination plant were struck, the source recorded; the Saudi East-West pipeline was shut in September 2026 after a drone strike launched from Iraq (CNBC, 30 Sep 2026).”

The brief’s reading of the evidence; not a registered forecast.
Affected Saudi Arabia +5
Geoeconomic
Can Iraq keep its lights on without Iranian gas?

“About a third of Iraqi power generation depends on Iranian gas, a widely cited figure the source could not independently confirm; Iraqi militias and US forces struck each other during the war.”

The brief’s reading of the evidence; not a registered forecast.

Affected Iraq

Geopolitical
Has the US-Iran negotiating track held since July 2026?

“US forces struck Revolutionary Guard targets on 30 August and 1 September 2026, the first known US strike since 29 July, according to US Central Command as reported by Stars and Stripes (1 Sep 2026).”

The brief’s reading of the evidence; not a registered forecast.

Affected United States

Geopolitical
Were any of the registered Iran forecasts corrected?

“Both moved down, and the unnamed tail moved up, from about 41% to about 43%: the correction made the outlook less confident, not more.”

our estimate, scored when it resolves

On the register: F-0020 14%, open · F-0021 4%, open · F-0007 15%, superseded, still scored · F-0012 5%, superseded, still scored. The forecast register

Geopolitical
What would prove the Iran call wrong?

“The call would be wrong if a single future became likely: above all, a durable settlement signed by an Iranian leadership able to deliver it, with independent nuclear verification restored and six months without cross-border strikes.”

The brief’s reading of the evidence; not a registered forecast.

Theme Brief · T-003 · 19 questionsWas the Strait of Hormuz closed, or repriced cargo by cargo?

Geoeconomic · Geopolitical
Was the Strait of Hormuz closed, or repriced cargo by cargo?

“Repriced cargo by cargo: by mid-2026 LNG kept under a tenth and crude under a quarter of their late-2025 flow through the Strait, and by 28 September crude, on Kpler's pre-war baseline, was back; products were not.”

The brief’s reading of the evidence; not a registered forecast.
Primary Oman Affected Saudi Arabia +9
Geopolitical · Geoeconomic
Was the Strait of Hormuz closed to neutral shipping?

“The Joint Maritime Information Center's Update 082 of 9 August 2026 described traffic at reduced levels across a northern Iranian-controlled route and a southern Omani corridor, and stated that neutral transit was permitted.”

The brief’s reading of the evidence; not a registered forecast.

Primary Oman

Geoeconomic
Which Gulf exporters have a way to ship oil around the Strait of Hormuz?

“Only Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have operating pipelines around the Strait, on EIA's record: the 5-million-barrel-a-day East-West line to the Red Sea and a 1.5-million line to Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman.”

The brief’s reading of the evidence; not a registered forecast.
Primary Oman Affected Saudi Arabia +5
Geoeconomic · Geopolitical
Could the largest strategic oil stocks behind the Strait be released?

“The two largest strategic holders behind the Strait were not part of it. EIA estimates China's strategic stock at 1,492 million barrels in the second quarter of 2026 and India's at 21 million; neither country is an IEA member.”

The brief’s reading of the evidence; not a registered forecast.
Primary Oman Affected China +3
Geoeconomic
Was marine war insurance still available for Strait of Hormuz transits?

“The Lloyd's Market Association stated on 23 March 2026 that hull war cover remained available in the Lloyd's and London company market for vessels wishing to transit, and that liability cover through the P&I clubs is non-cancellable.”

The brief’s reading of the evidence; not a registered forecast.

Primary Oman

Geoeconomic · Geopolitical
How much warning came before the cost of a Hormuz transit changed?

“The longest formal notice found in the record read here is the UK P&I Club's 72 hours, and it ran from midnight GMT on 28 February 2026, the day the US and Israeli attacks on Iran began.”

The brief’s reading of the evidence; not a registered forecast.
Primary Oman Affected Bahrain +3
Geoeconomic
Which economies are most exposed to the Gulf fertiliser shock?

“Gulf economies supplied 24.8 per cent of world nitrogenous fertiliser exports and 11.4 per cent of phosphatic exports, on the WTO's figures.”

The brief’s reading of the evidence; not a registered forecast.
Primary Oman Affected Kenya +10
Geoeconomic
Had Hormuz crude flows recovered by late September 2026?

“By 28 September crude was back at Kpler's pre-war baseline; products were 677 kb/d against 3.6 mb/d before the war (Kpler data via CNBC).”

The brief’s reading of the evidence; not a registered forecast.

Primary Oman

Decision Brief · Q-023 · 3 questionsIf the Strait of Hormuz stays closed, how much Saudi crude can reach buyers, and for how long?

Geopolitical · Geoeconomic
If the Strait of Hormuz stays closed, how much Saudi crude can reach buyers, and for how long?

“74–196 million barrels could leave Saudi Arabia in six weeks with the shuttle running, but none bought on 25 September was on file to land that soon.”

The brief’s reading of the evidence; not a registered forecast.
Primary Saudi Arabia Affected Japan +8

Country Outlook · C-003 · 1 questionIs exposure to China three risks or one?

Country Outlook · C-004 · 3 questionsIs the main US risk for business now US policy itself?

Each answer is quoted verbatim from the brief. Answers with a register ID are our estimates, scored when they resolve; the others are the brief’s reading of the evidence, not forecasts.

Regions in these questions Africa · Asia · East Asia · Europe · Middle East · North America · South America · South Asia

ISO 3166-1 name: Islamic Republic of Iran (IRN). Country and territory names follow common usage and imply no position on sovereignty.

Published briefs

Briefs with Iran as their subject.

Forecast register

Forecasts on the register attached to the questions above.

Each is our estimate, scored when it resolves. Published briefs only; the full register lists every one.

Registered forecasts attached to questions touching Iran: identifier, forecast, our estimate, issued, resolves by, status
IDForecastOur estimateIssuedResolves byStatus
F-0074A renewed US or Israeli strike on Iran, 22 Aug-20 Nov 2026 (operative)Our estimate 61%Issued 21 Aug 2026Resolves by 20 Nov 2026Status Open
F-0073Same event, superseded 21 Aug 2026 on an upheld arithmetic challenge; still scoredOur estimate 72%Issued 21 Aug 2026Resolves by 20 Nov 2026Status Superseded, scored
F-0020S1 Guard-Managed Attrition (MODAL) corrected; supersedes F-0007Our estimate 14%Issued 7 Aug 2026Resolves by 18 Jul 2028Status Open
F-0008S3 Contested Drift / ParalysisOur estimate 12%Issued 23 Jul 2026Resolves by 18 Jul 2028Status Open
F-0009S5 Nuclear Dash under PressureOur estimate 12%Issued 23 Jul 2026Resolves by 18 Jul 2028Status Open
F-0010S2 Frozen SiegeOur estimate 9%Issued 23 Jul 2026Resolves by 18 Jul 2028Status Open
F-0011S6 Regime-Targeting War & RuptureOur estimate 6%Issued 23 Jul 2026Resolves by 18 Jul 2028Status Open
F-0021S4 Negotiated Off-ramp (LEAST LIKELY) corrected; supersedes F-0012Our estimate 4%Issued 7 Aug 2026Resolves by 18 Jul 2028Status Open
F-0007S1 Guard-Managed Attrition (MODAL)Our estimate 15%Issued 23 Jul 2026Resolves by 18 Jul 2028Status Superseded, still scored
F-0012S4 Negotiated Off-ramp (LEAST LIKELY)Our estimate 5%Issued 23 Jul 2026Resolves by 18 Jul 2028Status Superseded, still scored

The forecast register

Free downloads

The one-page sheet and the executive read are free.

The full brief is supplied to organisations through the request form on the brief’s page: they accept its terms and confirm a work email, and it is free during the introductory period.

General research for general circulation; not investment, legal or tax advice and not tailored to any reader. Every probability is our estimate, scored when it resolves.

Ask about Iran

A question this page does not answer?

Suggest it for the series; if we take it up, the answer is published to everyone.