Judiciary Spokesperson: Arrest Warrants Issued for 148 Defendants Among 700 Currency Violation Cases

Asghar Jahangir, spokesperson for Iran's judiciary, said on Saturday, August 8, 2026 (17 Mordad 1405), discussing the handling of currency violation cases, that so called "trusteeship" cases, failure to meet foreign currency obligations, and failure to repatriate export earnings are three separate categories that should not be conflated. He said 583 reports from the General Inspection Organization and 117 cases from other provinces have been referred to Tehran's Economic Crimes Prosecutor's Office, and that these 700 cases combined are now being handled across five branches.

Jahangir said charges have so far been filed in 30 of the cases, with 28 people arrested, including 16 chief executives and 12 beneficiaries of business trade cards. He added that in 9 cases, misuse of trade cards for imports or exports has been established, and that in total the judiciary has issued arrest warrants for 148 defendants in currency violation cases. The remarks came amid a wider judicial push against currency market violations that has run alongside other regulatory action in Iran's foreign exchange market in recent months.