6,066,678 Points: Tehran's TEDPIX Breaks Through 6 Million for the First Time, Iran Market Pulse, Midday Saturday, Mordad 31, 1405 (August 22, 2026); US and UAE Both Ratchet Up Pressure on Iran

Lead

Tehran's TEDPIX index jumped 1.91 percent to 6,066,678 points by 10:59am Tehran time today, Saturday, Mordad 31, 1405 (August 22, 2026), breaking through the 6 million mark for the first time in its history, a record that came just ten days after the index first crossed 5 million on Mordad 20 (August 11). The Farabourse index also rose 1.77 percent to 48,700 points. The rally came even as outside pressure on Iran intensified in parallel: the US Treasury Secretary said Washington was preparing the "toughest sanctions in history" against Iran, the UAE said it had suspended all trade and financial dealings with Iran "until further notice," and Brent crude climbed to the doorstep of $94.

Today at a Glance

Today's Top Headlines

• The UAE, citing a Foreign Policy report (Saturday), said it had suspended all trade and financial dealings with Iran "until further notice," a step beyond the partial suspension reported three days earlier (Wednesday, Mordad 28).
• Citing Reuters via Oilprice.com (Saturday), the US Treasury Secretary said Washington was preparing the "toughest sanctions in history" against Iran; Brent crude climbed to the doorstep of $94 in tandem.
• By CENTCOM's own claim (via Ecoiran, Saturday), 68 commercial ships have been rerouted because of what the command called an Iranian naval blockade; the claim has not been independently confirmed or denied by any Iranian official, and this report only relays it.
• Per Ecoiran (Saturday), Iran's industrial input inflation hit a record in Tir (June/July), raising warnings of a fresh wave of price increases.
• Per ISNA (Saturday), some mobile phone models in Iran have risen in price by up to fourfold over the past year, another sign of currency swings feeding through to imported goods.

Currency

The free-market US dollar in Tehran rose today, Saturday, Mordad 31, to 191,100 tomans, up 1,000 tomans (0.53 percent) from yesterday's 190,100. The 24-hour range was 189,900 to 191,400 tomans. Meanwhile, the official "agreed" (tavafoghi) transfer rate at Iran's Currency and Gold Exchange Center stood at 156,737 tomans for sale as of 8:02am today, up 0.12 percent; the gap between the two rates remains close to 34,000 tomans. The free-market euro was last quoted flat at 221,210 tomans on Thursday, Mordad 29. Globally, EUR/USD stood at 1.1675 today (down 0.02 percent), and the dollar eased 0.21 percent against the Turkish lira to 47.94, part of a broader trend that has also pushed China's offshore yuan, per Trading Economics (Friday, Mordad 30), to its strongest level since January 2023.

Gold and Coins

Global spot gold traded at $4,607.35 an ounce at 1:51am today, down a marginal 0.08 percent and holding above the $4,600 level. Domestically, 18-karat trading gold stood at 19,762,100 tomans per gram at 10:59am today, roughly unchanged from yesterday. Iran's coin market has not posted a fresh trade since Thursday evening, Mordad 29: the Emami coin last traded at 199,540,000 tomans, with its premium (the coin's price above its gold content, known locally as "coin premium") at 59,000 tomans. Week over week, 18-karat gold is up about 4.27 percent.

Tehran Stock Exchange and Farabourse

The Tehran TEDPIX index rose 113,992 points (1.91 percent) to 6,066,678 by 10:59am today, breaking through the 6 million mark for the first time and marking a fourth straight positive week. The equal-weight index also gained 1.8 percent to 1,717,335. Bourse trade value has reached roughly 20.1 trillion tomans so far today. On Farabourse, a separate exchange with its own index and trade value, the index rose 1.77 percent to 48,700 points.

Among the leaders, Mobarakeh Steel ("Fooladeh") rose 2.97 percent and hit its buy queue, marking a fourth straight higher close. "Fameli" led the market in trade value (close to 813 billion tomans) and rose 1.66 percent. Bank Mellat ("Vabmellat") gained 1.13 percent to its highest close since Khordad 27 (June 17); the stock's 20-day moving average also crossed above its 50-day average on Wednesday, a pattern analysts call a "golden cross." On the losing side, "Rampana" (MAPNA Group) fell 2.32 percent, while "Tasico" and "Farak" dropped 1.65 and 0.7 percent respectively.

Private Conglomerates' Bourse Links

Alongside the familiar tickers, a question increasingly asked by investors is how Iran's big private conglomerates connect to the bourse. Sahmino's own data offers two clear examples: Bahman Group has direct listed exposure through several tickers. "Khbahman" (Bahman Motor) rose 2.18 percent today, "Vallebahman" (Bahman Leasing) rose 2.01 percent, while "Vabahman" (Bahman Group Investment) and "Vakbahman" fell 1.72 and 1.8 percent respectively. Paksan Industrial Group also trades on the Tehran Stock Exchange through the ticker "Shapaksa," which rose 2.96 percent today. For the country's other large private conglomerates (including Golrang, Mino, Dana, Entekhab, Novin Charm and Zar), a direct, verifiable ownership link to any listed ticker could not be confirmed from the sources available for this report; a full mapping of ownership structure and subsidiaries across all eight groups is the subject of a deeper report Sahmino's team is working on separately. For a stock market investor, these links matter because part of a ticker's value can be shaped by assets or unlisted companies in the same group, not just by its own financial statements.

Crypto

Bitcoin traded at $77,444 at 10:56am today, down a marginal 0.1 percent and holding above $77,000 after gaining nearly 10 percent overnight the day before. Ethereum fell 0.19 percent to $2,440. Tether traded at 189,052 tomans in the domestic market at 10:59am today, up 0.56 percent, moving somewhat in step with the rise in the free-market dollar. On the regulatory side, the chair of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) warned Friday that if Congress remains deadlocked on crypto legislation, the agency will write its own rules; a development that could reshape the scope of US crypto oversight.

Steel

In the Iran Mercantile Exchange's last settlement (Thursday, Mordad 29), size 14-20 A3 rebar cleared at a volume-weighted average of 70,048 tomans per kilogram. In the open factory-gate market, size-10 Arian Steel A3 rebar was priced at 71,820 tomans today, a gap of close to 2.5 percent above the exchange settlement. Mobarakeh Steel ("Fooladeh"), the chain's largest producer, rose 2.97 percent today and hit its buy queue, as noted above. Globally, Shanghai rebar held flat at 3,061 yuan a tonne on Friday, Mordad 30.

Cars

In the free car market today, Iran Khodro's Peugeot 207 automatic TU5P (glass roof) was priced at 2.65 billion tomans, the Dena Plus turbo automatic optional at 2.7 billion tomans, and Saipa's Pride 151 GX at 1.15 billion tomans. On the sidelines, Bahman Motor opened an auction of five products today, Saturday, Mordad 31, and Saipa will begin lottery-free sales of the Quick, Arya and Pars Nova from Sunday, Shahrivar 1.

Building Materials

Type-2 (42.5) bulk cement settled at an average of 2,756 tomans per kilogram in the IME's last session (Thursday, Mordad 29). At retail, a 50kg bag of Abyek Type-2 Portland cement was priced at 289,000 tomans today. On the bourse, the "Simana" fund rose 2.34 percent and "Simano" 1.47 percent today, moving in step with the broader equity rally.

Regional and Global View

Brent crude rose 0.27 percent to $94.39 at 4:51am today; per Reuters via Oilprice.com, the gain came as the US Treasury Secretary said Washington was preparing the "toughest sanctions in history" against Iran. Trump also said the day before that Iranians are not yet ready for a "proper deal" and that the US controls areas around the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM has claimed that 68 commercial ships were rerouted because of what it called an Iranian naval blockade; a claim this report only relays and cannot independently verify. In the US, the 30-year Treasury yield climbed to its highest level in roughly two decades, and US national debt passed $40 trillion for the first time, two signs of pressure on the US debt market that could affect the dollar's appeal against gold. US equity indices closed roughly half a percent higher in the latest available data (Friday); the S&P 500 at 7,674 and the Nasdaq at 26,180. Regionally, China's offshore yuan hit its strongest level since January 2023, and the Turkish lira strengthened 0.21 percent against the dollar today.

Bottom Line

Today belonged to the Tehran Stock Exchange, not to currency or gold. The TEDPIX broke through 6 million for the first time, and unlike recent days, the rally did not come from geopolitical risk; it happened in the very hours the US and the UAE both ratcheted up political and economic pressure on Iran. One thing worth remembering: when the stock market and risk headlines move at the same time but in opposite directions, that doesn't necessarily mean the risk is priced out; it shows that, in the short run, domestic liquidity flows can pull the equity market's path away from the path of political headlines.

What to Watch Today

• MAPNA Group's ("Rampana") ordinary general assembly, convened out of schedule, tomorrow, Sunday, Shahrivar 1, 1405, at 8am.
• The continuation of Bahman Motor's five-product auction that opened today.
• The start of Saipa's lottery-free sales of the Quick, Arya and Pars Nova from Sunday, Shahrivar 1.
• How parallel markets react to escalating US and UAE rhetoric on Iran in the coming days.