Iran War May Delay Deals, Not Derail M&A: Lazard’s McMaster (1)

War with Iran may slow the pace of dealmaking but it’s unlikely to dent overall M&A activity, according to Lazard Inc.’s global head of mergers and acquisitions.

“The key question for the Iran conflict is the duration — how long will it last,” Mark McMaster said, adding that investors are watching oil prices, inflation and potential supply-chain disruptions. A short-lived conflict would likely allow dealmaking to proceed with limited interruption, he said Wednesday in a Bloomberg TV interview.

Beyond geopolitical uncertainty, McMaster pointed to several trends supporting dealmaking. Large corporate buyers remain active, with deals of more than $10 ...