Shell Profits Double to $10.8bn as Iran War Lifts Oil Margins

Shell's profits doubled to $10.8bn, the energy company reported, as the Iran war pushed up margins on oil. The company said it would return $5bn to shareholders, a move that drew criticism from climate campaigners who objected to the scale of the profits.

The result marks a sharp increase in earnings for the oil and gas major, which attributed the gain to stronger margins on oil linked to the conflict. The war has tightened conditions in crude markets, supporting the pricing environment in which Shell operates.

The decision to distribute $5bn to shareholders places the company's capital returns at the centre of the results. Climate campaigners criticised the high profits, arguing against the scale of the payout at a time of elevated earnings driven by geopolitical disruption.

The figures underscore how conflict-driven volatility in energy markets can translate directly into earnings for major oil companies. For investors, the doubling of profits and the $5bn shareholder return are the central takeaways from the update, with the margin environment on oil identified by the company as the driver of the improvement.