Iran Has Yet to Issue License for American Fast Food Restaurants
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – An Iranian official announced that no American fast food restaurant has managed to obtain work permits in Iran, adding that the operation of such brands as KFC and Burger King in Iran requires licenses from three ministries.
“We have not issued any license for the three American brands of KFC, McFlurry, and Burger King,” Yadollah Sadeqi, head of Iran’s Center for Guilds and Traders, told the Tasnim News Agency, dismissing media reports that they have received permits.
He further noted that if a company wants to start its operation in Iran, it should first obtain licenses from the ministries of foreign affairs, interior, and labor.
In addition to these licenses, he added, companies seeking to make investments in Iran should also acquire investment license from the ministry of economy.
After obtaining the licenses and work permits, companies should refer to the Center for Guilds and Traders, Sadeqi stated.
He noted that no American firm has asked for registering its brand in the center.
The promising prospect of trade with Iran following the recent nuclear agreement between Tehran and world powers has prompted giant American firms, among others, to explore the market potential in the populous Middle East nation.
Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has repeatedly warned against Washington’s abuse of the outcomes of the nuclear talks, noting, “With all our strong capabilities, we will not allow Americans’ economic, political or cultural infiltration or political presence in Iran.”