When Apple released its latest smartphone lineup in the United States, it took only a couple of days for the new models to appear on sale in downtown Tehran, according to Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeera reported that this rapid arrival occurred despite Apple lacking a physical presence in Iran due to years of international sanctions. The trade also bypassed the ongoing months-long US naval blockade of Iran's southern ports, through which the bulk of imports previously entered.

"These things can't stop a mobile phone seller," an anonymous phone and accessories trader in Tehran's Charsou Mall told Al Jazeera, citing security reasons. The trader explained that bringing in devices has become much more complicated, time-consuming, and costly due to external pressures and domestic conditions imposed by the Iranian government.

Background

According to Al Jazeera, many internationally manufactured electronics are typically imported into Iran via Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. However, an almost eight-month-long conflict with the US and Israel has disrupted trade through the Strait of Hormuz. Al Jazeera noted that Iran has repeatedly attacked the UAE during the conflict, leading the UAE to announce a halt to trade, commercial exchanges, and financial transactions with Iran on August 19.

Traders subsequently pivoted to using passengers arriving from Oman to bring in items, but US sanctions on all Iranian airlines and service providers took effect in September, reducing the number of flights landing in the country, as reported by Al Jazeera. Most phones are now smuggled into Iran, travelling through Sulaimaniyah in Iraq's Kurdish region before crossing the border by land.

Al Jazeera observed a similar pattern for other electronics, including laptops, graphics and processing units, PlayStation devices, and Starlink terminals. In Tehran, a MacBook Air 15-inch M4 sold for the rial equivalent of more than $1,450—about 6 percent higher than average UAE retail prices—while a one-terabyte PlayStation 5 Slim disc-edition console went for about $730, or 11 percent more expensive than US retailers. Additionally, imported mobile devices only function for 30 days unless a registration fee is paid to the Iranian government, a policy introduced nearly a decade ago.

Why it matters

For readers across the region, supply chain disruptions and escalating costs highlight how geopolitical conflicts and tighter sanctions directly alter the availability and affordability of everyday consumer goods.