New electronics reach Iran, but prices soar as gov’t fees, US sanctions hit

Tehran, Iran – When the latest iPhone 18 lineup was released by Apple in the United States on September 18, it only took a couple of days for the new models to go on sale in downtown Tehran. That is despite Apple not having a physical presence in Iran due to years of international sanctions, and the ongoing months-long US naval blockade of Iran’s southern ports, through which the bulk of the country’s imports previously entered. But he explained that the process of bringing in phones has become much more complicated, time-consuming and costly, due to both external pressures and domestic conditions imposed by the Iranian government.

Many electronics manufactured internationally are imported into Iran via Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, but the nearly eight-month-long war with the US and Israel has disrupted trade through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has also repeatedly attacked the UAE throughout the conflict, and the UAE also announced a halt to trade, commercial exchanges and financial transactions with Iran on August 19. Some Iranian traders then pivoted to using passengers coming in from Oman to bring in phones and other items.

But after US sanctions on all Iranian airlines – and anyone who provides services for them – came into effect in September, few flights are landing in the country. Many go to Sulaimaniyah and then come in by land,” the trader said, referencing the northeastern city in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq, which borders western Iran. A similar story has also been true for many other electronics currently found in the Iranian market, including laptops, graphics and processing units, PlayStation devices and even Starlink terminals.

This week in Tehran, a MacBook Air 15-inch M4 sold for the rial equivalent of more than $1,450, about 6 percent higher than an average retailer in the UAE. A one-terabyte PlayStation 5 Slim disc-edition console was going for about $730, or 11 percent more expensive than some retailers in the US. Things are much worse when it comes to mobile phones.

Mobile phone service on imported devices only works for 30 days if a registration fee to the Iranian government is not paid. The fee was introduced nearly 10 years ago, ostensibly aimed at fighting smuggling and corruption. The amount varies depending on the value of the phone, with the government charging import duties of up to 6 percent for phones worth below 600 euros ($673), up to 15 percent for phones between 600 and 900 euros ($673 and $1,010), and up to 30 percent for phones with a value above 900 euros.

After adding other levies and “warranties” from domestic companies, extra charges for some phones can amount to more than half of the total price paid. But even a registered phone cannot be used to freely access the internet, as the government imposes severe internet filtering and shutdowns, while global payment methods are off-limits to Iranians and international firms refuse many services to Iranian nationals because of US sanctions. According to the state-linked Tasnim news site, about $1.6bn worth of mobile phones were imported commercially during the previous Iranian year ending in March 2026, up to 20 percent of which were phones priced at more than $600.