Agriculture Ministry says rice clearance directive is not a lifting of the import ban

Iran's Ministry of Agriculture issued a clarification on Tuesday, 28 July 2026, about its contested directive. The directive, which concerns lifting the ban on clearing rice consignments during the harvest season, drew a range of reactions in recent days and was read by some as a lifting of the rice import ban itself.

The ministry rejected that interpretation, stressing that the directive covers the clearance of consignments already in place rather than opening the door to new imports.

Iran's seasonal rice import ban is a tool for protecting domestic paddy farmers during the harvest, and any change to it feeds directly into domestic rice prices and market expectations.