Country file

Iran

EU restrictive measures govern part of trade here. The EU's purchases here are mainly agricultural and food products. The population is largely connected and local hosting is dense. Regional benchmarks: Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Relationship with the European Union

No preferential trade agreement with the European Union

No preferential regime applies, and EU restrictive measures prohibit or make subject to authorisation part of the trade: the common tariff alone does not determine what may be bought or sold.

Sources reviewed on 17 September 2026

0.8

billion euros of goods purchased by the European Union

2025, full calendar yearEU external trade by product — Eurostat

44%

of these purchases: food and live animals

2025EU external trade by product — Eurostat

21.7%

of these purchases: manufactured goods classified by material

2025EU external trade by product — Eurostat

Economy and sectors

No agreement

No preferential trade agreement with the European Union

trade is governed by standard rules and, where applicable, unilateral preferences that should be verifiedNo preferential regime applies, and EU restrictive measures prohibit or make subject to authorisation part of the trade: the common tariff alone does not determine what may be bought or sold.

Map of trade agreements — European Commission

Third country

regime applicable to European data and access

European framework trackedNo general adequacy decision. The transfer mechanism and its accompanying measures must be chosen according to the actual data flows.

Adequacy decisions — European Commission

85.3%

of the population uses the Internet

2024, latest available figure

Internet use — World Bank / ITU

Economic restrictions

European Union restrictive measures targeting the country

EU Sanctions Map, as at 26 September 2026The EU prohibits or makes subject to authorisation part of trade with this country. Before any contract, check that the goods, the service, the financing and the payment do not fall under any prohibition. Screen the supplier, its directors and its shareholders against the consolidated list of designated persons and entities. Measures in force: asset freezes on designated persons and entities; arms embargo; prohibitions on internal repression and communications surveillance equipment; prohibitions on dual-use goods and technology; prohibitions on importing or exporting certain goods; air, maritime or road transport restrictions; prohibition on satisfying certain claims.

Council Regulation (EU) No 267/2012

Incidents, fraud and impersonation

7 226

secure servers per million inhabitants

2024, latest available figureLocal hosting and certifications are common there. That says nothing about the security of any given provider — only about the terrain in which it operates.

Secure Internet servers — World Bank

Disputed batch

traceability that holds up in a dispute

Cross-cutting controlA dispute over a batch is settled on the evidence: shipping documents, certificates and correspondence must be producible without relying on a single person.

Points to check within your organisation

To be screened

The goods, the service and the payment, before any contract

EU restrictive measures apply to this country or part of its territory. Assess each delivery and each payment against the applicable regulation, and keep a record of party screening: this is what your client or your bank will ask for.

To be traced

The chain through to the manufacturer

The evidence here rests on batch traceability, processing sites and the cold chain. Ask how far back traceability goes and who documents it.

To be governed

The data that travels with the batches

Without an adequacy decision, even traceability data falls under a transfer tool as soon as it identifies individuals. Ask what is actually being transmitted, and under what safeguards.

To be located

Where your data actually resides

Local hosting is common here, which does not tell you where your data actually lands: ask for the country of each environment, including backups, and who holds the keys.

Developments to be aware of

The topics that may change your answers

EU restrictive measures

The EU prohibits or makes subject to authorisation part of trade with this country. Before any contract, check that the goods, the service, the financing and the payment do not fall under any prohibition. Screen the supplier, its directors and its shareholders against the consolidated list of designated persons and entities. Measures in force: asset freezes on designated persons and entities; arms embargo; prohibitions on internal repression and communications surveillance equipment; prohibitions on dual-use goods and technology; prohibitions on importing or exporting certain goods; air, maritime or road transport restrictions; prohibition on satisfying certain claims.

EU Sanctions Map — European Commission

EU–Iran relationship

No preferential regime applies, and EU restrictive measures prohibit or make subject to authorisation part of the trade: the common tariff alone does not determine what may be bought or sold.

Trade relations by country — European Commission

Data transfers

No general adequacy decision. The transfer mechanism and its accompanying measures must be chosen according to the actual data flows.

Adequacy decisions — European Commission

Export fabric

The values come from EU customs data: they show what Europe buys, not what a given supplier produces.

EU external trade by product — Eurostat

What this means for your situation

Food products and live animals: 44% of what the EU buys here. Traceability, processing sites and the cold chain carry more weight here than IT infrastructure — unless the service you sell touches the client's data.

Official sources

Confidential exchange

Describe your European relationship and the request received.

The Iran file sets out a country and its relationship with the EU. What remains is to establish how far back your batch traceability goes, and who documents it.

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