Iran's central bank issues amended rules on banks' surplus asset disposal, adding tokenization and property funds

The high council of the Central Bank of Iran approved an amendment to the "Directive on the disposal of surplus assets of credit institutions" at its 70th session on 14 July 2026 (23 Tir 1405) and circulated it to the banking network. The original directive was issued under circular 289617/99 dated 1 December 2020 (11 Azar 1399); the central bank says the amendment follows feedback from banks and aims to make disposals easier.

According to the central bank, the main change is the addition of disposal routes beyond public auction: sales through capital market mechanisms, including land and building investment funds, real estate investment funds and tokenization within central bank rules; transfer to the "Banking Network Asset Management Company"; and waiver of auction formalities, covering negotiated sales and swaps for readily saleable assets.

The second change permits lump sum credit sales in auctions of surplus assets, alongside the existing cash sale and instalment settlement methods structured as lease to own, instalment sale and instalment murabaha. Banks must circulate the revised directive to all relevant units and supervise its implementation.