Iran’s digital market buckles after war disrupts imports
Iran’s digital hardware market has yet to recover from wartime disruption, with shortages, volatile prices and rising import costs pushing laptops, mobile phones and computer parts further beyond the reach of many consumers, an economic website reported on Saturday.
Traders and consumers say prices for phones, laptops and computer components now shift daily as importers grapple with currency pressures, supply uncertainty and disruptions to long-established trade routes through the United Arab Emirates, according to Eghtesad News.
“Today’s price is only valid for today,” has become a common refrain among sellers in Iran’s technology markets, reflecting uncertainty over replacement costs and future supplies, the report added.
Iran executed political prisoner Mojtaba Kian on Sunday after convicting him on accusations tied to cooperation with Israel and the United States, bringing the number of people put to death on political and security-related charges since March 17 to at least 37.
The judiciary’s Mizan news agency said Kian was convicted of “intelligence activity for Israel and the United States” and sending information related to Iran’s defense industries,
Kian, Mizan said, was accused of transmitting coordinates and information about defense industry units to “networks affiliated with Israel and the United States” during attacks by the two countries against the Islamic Republic. The judiciary said a court sentenced him to death and confiscation of property.
Mizan said fewer than 50 days passed between Kian’s arrest and execution on May 24, describing the case as part of orders for “decisive and swift” handling of files linked to alleged cooperation with Israel and the United States.
The execution marks a sharp increase in the pace of political and security-related executions in Iran over recent weeks.
The HRANA human rights news agency previously reported that the Islamic Republic executed at least 52 prisoners on political and security-related charges between March 2025 and 2026.
Based on those figures, the rate of such executions has risen from roughly one per week earlier in the year to about one every two days over the past two months.
Concerns over accelerated prosecutions
The speed of Kian’s arrest, prosecution and execution has deepened concerns over due process in political and security-related cases in Iran.
Cases involving espionage and national security accusations in the Islamic Republic have long drawn scrutiny from rights groups and lawyers over allegations of forced confessions, torture, restricted access to independent lawyers and denial of fair trial guarantees.
Iran’s judiciary did not disclose the exact date of Kian’s arrest, details of court proceedings, whether he or his family had access to a lawyer of their choosing or how the Supreme Court reviewed the case.
Thousands detained after attacks
Iranian security forces have detained thousands of people across the country on political and security accusations since attacks by the United States and Israel began on February 28.
Police chief Ahmadreza Radan said on May 17 that security forces had arrested 6,500 people since the start of the conflict.
Radan described the detainees as “traitors and spies,” accusations that lawyers and human rights organizations say Iranian authorities frequently use against opponents and protesters.
Human rights groups have warned that mass arrests combined with accelerated judicial proceedings in security cases could place more detainees at risk of execution.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said no major decision would be taken outside the framework of the Supreme National Security Council or without the approval of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, according to remarks published on Sunday.
Speaking at a meeting with managers from Iran’s state broadcaster, Pezeshkian said all branches of government and public platforms should support decisions made in the field of diplomacy.
“When a decision is made in the field of diplomacy, all institutions, platforms and political currents must support it,” Pezeshkian said.
“I have always tried not to say anything contrary to the leader’s position or take a stance that fuels division among the pillars of the system and allows the enemy to exploit it,” he said.
Any potential breakthrough over the Strait of Hormuz would depend on Iran accepting and complying with a proposed framework under discussion, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday.
“We think we've made some progress on the outline of something that, if it works, could give us that outcome,” Rubio said alongside his Indian counterpart in New Delhi.
Further negotiations, Rubio said, would still be needed, adding that any agreement would require “full Iranian acceptance and then compliance.”
“There is the possibility that over the next few hours, the world will get some good news,” Rubio said, referring to developments related to the Strait of Hormuz.
The goal, he added, remained ensuring the world no longer faced the threat of an Iranian nuclear weapon.
Rubio also said attacks on commercial vessels were “totally illegal.”
Iran’s digital hardware market has yet to recover from wartime disruption, with shortages, volatile prices and rising import costs pushing laptops, mobile phones and computer parts further beyond the reach of many consumers, an economic website reported on Saturday.
Traders and consumers say prices for phones, laptops and computer components now shift daily as importers grapple with currency pressures, supply uncertainty and disruptions to long-established trade routes through the United Arab Emirates, according to Eghtesad News.
“Today’s price is only valid for today,” has become a common refrain among sellers in Iran’s technology markets, reflecting uncertainty over replacement costs and future supplies, the report added.
The disruption has hit not only premium electronics but also basic hardware including SSD drives, graphics cards, motherboards, monitors and repair parts, according to market participants and customs data cited in the report.
UAE route emerges as key vulnerability
Iran’s technology market has long depended heavily on Dubai as a regional import and logistics hub for electronics. Customs figures cited in Iranian trade reports show roughly 600,000 laptops worth around $260 million entered Iran in 2023, with the overwhelming majority routed through the UAE.
File photo of shoppers visiting a computer and electronics market in Iran, where stores sell laptops, gaming equipment and digital devices.
Broader trade data also point to the scale of dependence. Iranian customs statistics showed exports from the UAE to Iran reached around $19.1 billion between March 2024 and January 2025.
Importers say alternative routes through China, Turkey, Oman and Qatar remain slower, more expensive or less flexible than the Dubai-based networks that previously dominated the market.
Mobile phones and laptops move out of reach
Iran’s mobile phone imports dropped sharply in 2025, according to customs figures cited in the report. Commercial imports fell to about 8.4 million devices worth roughly $1.6 billion, down from 11.4 million phones valued at nearly $2.5 billion a year earlier.
The loss of the national currency’s value against the dollar, along with rising import costs, has also fed directly into retail prices. Some high-end Apple models now sell for several billion rials, with certain iPhone 16 Pro Max listings approaching 5 billion rials ($2800) in some stores.
Laptop prices have also surged. Entry-level student laptops now commonly exceed 400 million rials ($225), while mid-range work models often sell for between 800 million and one billion rials ($450-550).
For many households and small businesses, the shift has changed buying behavior. Consumers increasingly delay purchases, turn to second-hand devices or opt to repair aging hardware instead of replacing it, added the report.
The pressure extends beyond consumers. Software firms, engineering offices, freelancers and online businesses now face sharply higher costs for maintaining basic digital infrastructure, adding strain to sectors already coping with weak purchasing power and economic uncertainty.
IRGC-linked Tasnim News reported on Sunday that Iran has insisted any initial memorandum of understanding with the United States should include the release of at least part of its frozen assets in the first step.
The report said Tehran had stressed that the released funds must be accessible to Iran.
It added that Washington had sought in recent weeks to link the release of the assets to a possible final nuclear agreement.
Iran wants part of the funds released at the start of any MOU and a mechanism set for releasing the rest during negotiations, according to the report.
The report said the possible memorandum of understanding would allow the number of vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to return to pre-war levels within 30 days.
It said that the US naval blockade must be fully lifted within 30 days under the draft, adding that no change in Hormuz traffic would take place if the blockade remained in place.
