Deputy Economy Ministry Official: Of 400 Licensed Gold Platforms, Only About 9 Are Genuinely Active and Credible

Mohammadreza Hajijafari, deputy head of the Business Center at Iran's Ministry of Economy, said in remarks carried by Fars News Agency early on Thursday, 29 Mordad 1405 (August 20, 2026), that around 400 gold sales platforms currently hold licenses, but only about 9 of them are seriously and genuinely active in the market.

He said oversight to prevent these platforms from selling gold they do not hold is currently done manually, through inquiries to the cyber police and regulatory bodies, and that the main fix is for the Central Bank to launch its supervisory system as soon as possible; an initial rollout has taken place, though the legal deadline for its completion was Bahman 1404 (February 2026). Hajijafari advised consumers to check for an e trust symbol and registration in Iran's official business information database before buying gold through these platforms.