"Only weeks before Halliburton [3] made headlines by announcing it was pulling out of Iran ... the Texas-based oil services firm quietly signed a major new business deal to help develop Tehran’s natural gas fields," Newsweek's Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball write. "But overlooked in most of the press coverage of the announcement was that [Halliburton CEO David] Lesar’s statement contained enough wiggle room to permit Halliburton to continue participating in the new South Pars project. ... Lesar’s announcement was little more than 'PR damage control,' said one congressional investigator who has closely followed Halliburton’s dealings. 'They’re still acting like the sanctions law are a big joke,' the investigator added."