Apple has been warned by the Iranian government that it faces having its products banned in the country unless it officially registers with Iran's anti-smuggling office.

"If Apple will not register an official representative in Iran within the next few days, all iPhones will be collected from the market," said the director of Iran's anti-smuggling project on Sunday.

Flag_of_Iran
The ultimatum was reported by Tasnim News Agency and translated today by The Japan Times. According to the report, more than 40 million Iranians use smartphones, including millions of iPhone users whose devices are often imported into the country by smugglers.

To stop the flow of smuggled phones, Iran's presidential office will initiate a scheme later this week that requires all mobile phones to be registered with Iran's telecommunications user database. Phones not registered will not be able to be used in the country. According to the office, former users of iPhones and other smuggled phones are excluded from the scheme.

Despite the cooperation of mobile operators, customs, and the union of mobile phone sellers, IT activists in the country have criticized the state's decision to potentially ban iPhones.

"Collecting this huge number of iPhones will not be easy," the head of the Tehran IT union told Tasnim News, and expressed concerns that the telecommunications database could be susceptible to hacking attempts.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Tag: Iran

Top Rated Comments

Imory Avatar
117 months ago
Tourists? Anyone going to Iran, or North Korea should not be surprised if they wind up arrested.
Ever tried to visit Iran? I'm afraid your comment is really a complete and utter lie, solely based on ignorance.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Glassed Silver Avatar
117 months ago
Surely the iPhone's currently for sale are not the property of the Iranian government.
It's called confiscation and legally renders the question of property meaningless.

I do agree though, a very hard-handed approach. Then again, so is having to register your phone to fight smuggling.
On another note, I guess I'm not the only one suspecting other reasons for this registration scheme.

Glassed Silver:mac
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HEK Avatar
117 months ago
So what if you are only there for a little while as a tourist for example. Will Ou have to register your iPhone to be able to use it? Otherwise any "tourist" could just happen to bring an iPhone in the country and sell it as before
Tourists? Anyone going to Iran, or North Korea should not be surprised if they wind up arrested.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MH01 Avatar
117 months ago
There is going to be some interesting replies here, getting popcorn
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
freediverx Avatar
117 months ago
Why is "iPhone smuggling" an issue in the first place? Circumvention of import tariffs?
[doublepost=1468931899][/doublepost]
Apple should withhold and refuse until they get their human rights in check. :)
If we're going to use human rights violations as an excuse to stop sales to a country, we're going to have a long list of countries without iPhones - starting with our close ally and champion of democracy, Saudi Arabia.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bushido Avatar
117 months ago
So what if you are only there for a little while as a tourist for example. Will Ou have to register your iPhone to be able to use it? Otherwise any "tourist" could just happen to bring an iPhone in the country and sell it as before
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Max Battery Capacity Leaked

Thursday July 3, 2025 5:40 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post, the leaker listed the battery capacities of the iPhone 11 Pro Max through to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and added that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a battery capacity of 5,000mAh: iPhone 11 Pro Max: 3,969mAh iPhone 12 Pro Max: 3,687mAh...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's Upcoming Macs Listed in New Report

Thursday July 3, 2025 9:09 am PDT by
AppleInsider's Marko Zivkovic today shared a list of alleged identifiers for future Mac models, which should roll out over the next year or so. The report does not reveal anything too surprising, but it does serve as further evidence that Apple is seemingly working on new models of every Mac, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. Apple is...