Iran lifts its ban on imports of new iPhone models in place since last year

Iranian authorities person lifted a prohibition connected imports of caller iPhone 14, 15 and 16 models by nan U.S. tech elephantine Apple

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iranians will soon beryllium capable to get their hands connected iPhones 14, 15 and 16 aft authorities lifted a prohibition connected caller smartphone models by nan U.S. tech elephantine Apple, according to an announcement Wednesday.

The prohibition connected caller iPhone models had been successful spot since 2023 but now, nan country's telecommunications curate said authorities are allowing nan registration of nan caller models.

The minister, Satar Hashemi, said connected X that nan problem of registering caller iPhone models connected nan Iranian marketplace was “solved” and that Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian backed nan efforts of nan connection ministry toward that goal.

Hashemi did not elaborate but said nan import measures would beryllium announced, soon.

Following nan 2023 ban, iPhone 13 and older versions could still beryllium imported amid precocious request for an point that remains a position awesome for galore young Iranians.

While nan prohibition was successful place, immoderate iPhone 14, 15 aliases a newer exemplary brought into Iran would extremity moving connected Iran’s state-controlled mobile telephone networks aft 1 month, nan clip span for visitors allowed to sojourn nan county.

The prohibition spurred a parallel system for nan older handsets, jacking up prices for nan devices arsenic galore sought to put their depreciating Iranian rials into immoderate beingness commodity. It was a motion of nan economical woes plaguing Iran aft decades of Western sanctions.

Imports of iPhones person agelong been a contentious constituent — authorities statistic propose that astir a 3rd of Iran’s full $4.4 cardinal mobile telephone import marketplace consisted of iPhones earlier nan ban.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei successful 2020 pointedly criticized iPhone imports though he had antecedently slammed what he described arsenic each American luxury goods.

“Excessive imports are thing dangerous,” Khamenei said astatine nan time, according to a transcript connected his charismatic website. “Sometimes this import is simply a luxury product, meaning location is nary request for it. I’ve heard astir half a cardinal dollars were spent to import 1 type of American luxury cellphone.”

However, different overseas smartphone brands specified arsenic Motorola, Samsung, Nokia, Xiaomi and Huawei stay wide disposable successful Iran.