ELI5: Does Iran sell a lot of oil?

Yes, Iran sells a lot of oil, but it has to work much harder to sell it than other countries do.

Imagine oil is like the gasoline that powers the school bus, the fuel that heats homes in the winter, or the plastic used to make toys and grocery bags. The whole world needs this fuel for everyday life, and Iran has one of the biggest supplies buried deep underground.

To understand how Iran sells it, think of a neighborhood lemonade stand:

• Giant supply: Iran has a huge backyard full of lemons. It naturally has enough to make and sell millions of cups of lemonade every single day.
• Strict rules: However, the other neighbors made very strict rules called sanctions. These rules say that most people are not allowed to buy lemonade from Iran's stand.
• Secret deliveries: Because of these rules, regular stores cannot buy oil directly from Iran. So, Iran has to sell its oil quietly, often at a discount, using boats that turn off their location trackers to deliver it to places like China.

So, while Iran cannot sell as much oil as it wants to in the open supermarket, it still sells a massive amount behind the scenes to keep factories running, cars moving, and power plants buzzing in other parts of the world.