Iran Company Search Guide 2026: How to Verify an Iranian Business

TL;DR. Iran is subject to the most complete US sanctions program in force. OFAC’s Iran sanctions (including secondary sanctions provisions) effectively prohibit US persons, and most international financial institutions, from conducting any transaction with Iranian entities without a specific OFAC license. The EU maintains a parallel regime of restrictive measures. Iran’s domestic company registry exists and functions for domestic users, but foreign buyer access is practically impossible. This article explains what the sanctions mean for compliance buyers, what limited due diligence pathways exist, and what to do if an Iranian entity appears in a counterparty’s ownership chain.

The sanctions overlay: read this first

Before discussing the registry, the sanctions framework must be understood because it defines what foreign buyers can and cannot do.

OFAC Iran sanctions. The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) maintains complete Iran sanctions under multiple executive orders and the Iran Sanctions Act. The sanctions prohibit US persons (including US-owned or US-controlled foreign entities) from virtually all transactions with the Government of Iran, Iranian financial institutions, and entities meeting the definition of an Iranian person. This includes trade, investment, financial services, and technology transfer. The Iran SDN (Specially Designated Nationals) list at ofac.treasury.gov designates specific Iranian individuals, entities, and vessels, adding full-blocking obligations. Secondary sanctions provisions extend liability to non-US persons in certain circumstances, creating de facto restrictions for any entity with US banking relationships. See OFAC Iran Sanctions page for current program scope.

OFAC General Licenses. OFAC issues general licenses that carve out specific activities from Iran sanctions prohibitions. General licenses cover items such as personal communications technology, academic and research collaboration, NGO humanitarian activities, and certain food and medicine exports. Compliance buyers must verify whether any contemplated transaction falls within a current general license before proceeding. General licenses are published at ofac.treasury.gov and subject to amendment. [VERIFY: current active general licenses for Iran as of 2026]

EU Restrictive Measures. The European Union maintains restrictive measures on Iran under multiple council decisions addressing Iran’s nuclear program (JCPOA-related), human rights violations, and support for third-country conflicts (including Russia). The EU Consolidated Financial Sanctions List is available at eeas.europa.eu. EU persons are prohibited from transacting with listed Iranian entities and must comply with sectoral measures affecting the energy, financial, and transport sectors.

UN Security Council. UN Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015) and related Iran-specific resolutions apply to all UN member states. The JCPOA nuclear deal materially reduced UN sanctions; however, the US withdrawal from JCPOA (2018) and subsequent snapback processes have complicated the legal market. [VERIFY: current status of UN Iran sanctions following any 2025-2026 diplomatic developments]

Practical consequence. For any foreign compliance buyer without a specific OFAC license, onboarding an Iranian entity as a counterparty is prohibited. The Iran company registry article is therefore primarily useful as: (a) background for understanding the system in which Iranian entities are registered, and (b) guidance for the narrow cases where licensed activity is contemplated or where Iranian entities appear in complex ownership chains.

What is the official Iran business registry?

Iran’s domestic company registration authority is the Companies Registration Office (اداره ثبت شرکت‌ها و موسسات غیرتجاری), operating under the State Organization for Registration of Deeds and Properties (SORDAP, سازمان ثبت اسناد و املاک کشور). SORDAP is accessible domestically at rrk.ir.

The Companies Registration Office handles the registration of:

• Private joint-stock companies (شرکت سهامی خاص)
• Public joint-stock companies (شرکت سهامی عام)
• Limited liability companies (شرکت با مسئولیت محدود)
• Partnerships and other entities under the Iranian Commercial Code

Iran’s Commercial Code dates to 1932 with subsequent amendments. Company registration under the Code involves filing with the local Companies Registration Office of the province where the company’s principal office is located.

The online portal at rrk.ir provides domestic access to registration status, company records, and filing services. The interface is entirely in Persian (Farsi) and requires an Iranian national identification number (کد ملی) or a system-issued user credential for account creation. Foreign buyers cannot create accounts or access the registry directly.

What can you verify from outside Iran?

Direct registry access is not available to foreign buyers. However, the following limited pathways exist:

Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA). The ICCIMA (iccima.ir) maintains a commercial membership directory. This is not a substitute for registry verification but provides indicative information on companies that have applied for ICCIMA membership. Access is partial. The ICCIMA Tehran office has historically provided limited company verification services for trade facilitation purposes. [VERIFY: current operational capacity of ICCIMA verification services given sanctions environment]

SWIFT disconnection. As of 2026, Iranian banks remain disconnected from the SWIFT international payment network under international sanctions. Any counterparty claiming to be an Iranian bank or Iranian financial institution cannot have SWIFT-based correspondent banking relationships with Western banks. Proposals for alternative payment channels (e.g., INSTEX, barter arrangements) have had limited implementation. [VERIFY: current state of any Iran payment channel alternatives]

Commercial intelligence firms. A small number of Middle East-focused intelligence and due diligence firms maintain the capability to obtain basic Iranian company registration information through local contacts. This is a high-cost, long-turnaround pathway typically used only in litigation support, sanctions compliance investigation, or complex M&A scenarios. Engaging these firms requires legal review to ensure the engagement itself is within OFAC licensing.

Iranian entity in an ownership chain. If an Iranian entity (rather than your direct counterparty) appears in an ownership chain, the relevant question is whether your transaction constitutes a “transaction with” the Iranian entity within the meaning of applicable sanctions. This is a legal analysis requiring qualified counsel. The presence of an Iranian entity in an ownership chain at any level is a material red flag requiring escalation.

How OFAC licensing works

If you have a business need that may qualify for OFAC authorization, the process is:

1. Review all published general licenses for Iran at ofac.treasury.gov to determine if an existing general license covers your activity.
2. If no general license applies, file a specific license application (SLA) with OFAC using the sanctions license application portal. SLAs require detailed factual information, legal basis, and often take several months to process.
3. While an application is pending, the underlying transaction cannot proceed.
4. Never proceed without confirmed authorization. OFAC civil penalty maximums for Iran sanctions violations are material; criminal penalties apply for willful violations.

Humanitarian organizations and NGOs conducting food, medicine, and agricultural commodity activities under General License H should consult the current license text carefully, as conditions and permitted parties are specified.

FATF status and AML risk

Iran has been on the FATF blacklist (High-Risk Jurisdictions Subject to a Call for Action) since 2016. FATF calls on its members and jurisdictions to apply counter-measures to Iran given the strategic deficiencies in its AML/CFT framework, including links to terrorism financing and proliferation financing risks. See fatf-gafi.org for current blacklist status.

The FATF blacklist status, combined with complete sanctions programs, makes Iran one of the highest-risk jurisdictions globally from a financial crime compliance perspective.

Practical guidance for compliance buyers

• Iranian entity as counterparty: Stop. Consult qualified US and EU sanctions counsel. Do not onboard without a specific OFAC license where required.
• Iranian entity in ownership chain: Escalate immediately. Conduct a sanctions nexus analysis. Determine whether the transaction constitutes a prohibited dealing under applicable sanctions programs.
• Iranian entity claiming sanctions exemption: Verify the claimed exemption against OFAC published general licenses. Do not rely on the counterparty’s self-certification alone.
• Humanitarian, academic, or NGO activities: The licensing framework permits more activity in these categories than commercial activity, but the specific conditions must be verified against current general licenses and, where necessary, supplemented by specific licenses.
• Iran on SWIFT alternatives: No widely adopted alternative to SWIFT exists for Iran-related transactions as of 2026. Claims of alternative payment routing should be treated as red flags, not solutions.

FAQ

Can I verify an Iranian company’s legal existence through the registry?

Not directly from outside Iran. The rrk.ir portal requires domestic credentials. Commercial intelligence firms with local Iran contacts can obtain basic registration data, but this activity must itself be within OFAC authorization. For most foreign compliance buyers, the practical answer is no.

Is any trade with Iran legal?

Some categories of transactions are permitted under OFAC general licenses, primarily humanitarian (food, medicine, agricultural commodities), personal communications technology, and academic/research exchanges. All other commercial transactions require a specific OFAC license. EU persons are subject to a parallel framework of EU restrictive measures with a different (but largely overlapping) set of prohibitions.

What is the FATF status of Iran?

Iran is on the FATF blacklist (High-Risk Jurisdictions Subject to a Call for Action), the most severe FATF designation. This has been the case since 2016. All FATF members and a broader set of jurisdictions are called upon to apply counter-measures. Check fatf-gafi.org for current status.

If an Iranian entity holds a minority stake in my counterparty, does that block the transaction?

This depends on the ownership percentage, the specific OFAC sanctions program, and applicable OFAC 50% rule analysis. Under OFAC’s 50% rule, entities owned 50% or more (individually or in aggregate) by SDN-listed parties are themselves treated as blocked. For non-SDN Iranian entities, the analysis differs by program. Qualified sanctions counsel is required for ownership-chain analysis involving Iranian entities at any level.

Last verified: May 2026. Sources: OFAC Iran Sanctions (ofac.treasury.gov/sanctions-programs-and-country-information/iran-sanctions); EU Restrictive Measures on Iran (eeas.europa.eu); FATF Iran Country Page (fatf-gafi.org); UN Security Council Resolution 2231. [VERIFY:] flags throughout indicate items subject to change in an active diplomatic and regulatory environment.