The Iranian government has decided to lift a three-year ban on imports and registration of brand-new Apple phones.
The Iranian Cabinet issued a decree on Wednesday allowing the imports of all smart phone models produced by Apple, thereby withdrawing a previous ban on imports of the US-based company's iPhone 14 and later models.
The decree set a tariff of 96% on imports of all phone products with the trademark of Apple Inc.
The decree came some three years after a previous administration banned authorized imports of brand-new Apple phones, causing the Iranian telecoms ministry to stop registering new models of iPhone brought into the country by passengers.
Authorities said at the time that the ban had complied with a government policy to prevent the imports of luxury American products into Iran when it was under a harsh regime of unilateral US sanctions.
They also insisted the ban would save hundreds of millions in hard currency resources spent each year on imports of expensive Apple phones.