Iran company search: Companies Registration Office (rrk.ir)

TL;DR. Iran is subject to the most complete US sanctions program in force. OFAC’s Iran sanctions (including secondary sanctions) 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. https://www.rrk.ir did not respond when last checked. The registry’s screens and rial fees are therefore not described here; confirm at source. This page does not prescribe a screening workflow.

The sanctions overlay: read this first

The sanctions framework comes before the registry 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 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. Confirm current program scope at the OFAC source. This page does not claim that OFAC page loaded here.

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. Whether a contemplated transaction falls within a current general license is the threshold question. Confirm current general licenses at the OFAC source. This page does not claim that OFAC page loaded here.

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). EU persons are prohibited from transacting with listed Iranian entities and face sectoral measures affecting the energy, financial, and transport sectors. Confirm current entries at the EU source. This page does not claim that EU page loaded here.

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.

Practical consequence. For a US person, and through secondary sanctions for most non-US financial institutions, onboarding an Iranian entity as a counterparty without a specific OFAC license falls inside the program’s prohibitions. This article is therefore primarily useful as: (a) background for the system in which Iranian entities are registered, and (b) context for the narrow cases where licensed activity is contemplated or where Iranian entities appear in complex ownership chains. This page does not prescribe a screening workflow. Confirm current OFAC, EU, and UN measures at those sources. This page does not claim those sources loaded here.

What is the official Iran business registry?

Iran’s domestic company registration authority is described as the Companies Registration Office, operating under the State Organization for Registration of Deeds and Properties (SORDAP). The published public address is https://www.rrk.ir. That address did not respond when last checked. The Persian-language search screens, national-ID login and filing steps behind it are therefore not described here; confirm at source.

The Companies Registration Office handles registration of:

• Private joint-stock companies
• Public joint-stock companies
• Limited liability companies
• 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. Those statutory labels could not be confirmed against a working registry page.

What can you verify from outside Iran?

The registry cannot be reached online: https://www.rrk.ir did not respond when last checked. No ICCIMA verification service is described here; confirm at source.

SWIFT disconnection. 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.

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. That is a legal question, and most institutions route it to sanctions counsel. Institutional frameworks treat an Iranian entity at any level of an ownership chain as a material red flag that reaches their escalation tier.

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 the OFAC source to determine if an existing general license covers the activity. This page does not claim that OFAC page loaded here.
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. OFAC civil penalty maximums for Iran sanctions violations are material, and criminal penalties apply for willful violations; activity ahead of confirmed authorization is what those penalties attach to.

Humanitarian organizations and NGOs conducting food, medicine, and agricultural commodity activities under applicable general licenses 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. Confirm current listing status at the FATF source. This page does not claim that FATF page loaded here. This page does not prescribe enhanced due diligence.

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: OFAC’s Iran program and the EU restrictive measures govern whether the transaction is lawful at all; where a specific OFAC license is required, onboarding without one is a sanctions breach, not a due diligence gap. This is a question for sanctions counsel rather than a registry search.
• Iranian entity in ownership chain: This is the escalation case in most institutional frameworks. The analysis is a sanctions nexus analysis: whether the transaction constitutes a prohibited dealing under the 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 are set out in the current general licenses and, where those do not cover the activity, in specific licenses.
• Iran on SWIFT alternatives: No widely adopted alternative to SWIFT exists for Iran-related transactions. 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 online. https://www.rrk.ir did not respond when last checked. Commercial intelligence firms with local Iran contacts can obtain basic registration data, but that activity is itself subject to the same OFAC authorization question. For most foreign compliance buyers, the practical answer is no. This page does not prescribe a screening workflow.

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 has been on the FATF blacklist (High-Risk Jurisdictions Subject to a Call for Action) since 2016. Confirm current status at the FATF source. This page does not prescribe enhanced due diligence.

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. Ownership-chain analysis involving Iranian entities at any level is counsel-level work in most institutions.

Last verified: 2026-09-15. Source: https://www.rrk.ir, which did not respond when last checked. Confirm OFAC, EU, FATF, and UN Security Council Resolution 2231 measures at those sources; this page does not claim those pages loaded here. For the full global due diligence framework, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.