Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran

What Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran does

The Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran (CBI; بانک مرکزی جمهوری اسلامی ایران) is the sovereign monetary authority of Iran, founded in 1960 and headquartered in Tehran. As a wholly state-owned government entity, its mandate covers the design and implementation of monetary and credit policy, the issuance of national currency (the rial), the regulation of Iran's banking sector, and the management of foreign exchange reserves. The institution operates under the direct authority of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, with a governor appointed by the executive; Abdolnasser Hemmati was appointed governor on December 31, 2025, replacing Mohammad Reza Farzin following his resignation amid a severe currency crisis.

CBI's core "products" in a functional sense are monetary instruments and regulatory frameworks: it issues banknotes (most recently a new ten-million rial denomination introduced during the 2026 conflict), sets interest rate and reserve policy, and supervises licensed banks. It has no commercial revenue model or pricing structure, consistent with its mandate as a public monetary utility rather than a market-facing financial firm. Its operating geography is formally limited to Iran, though its operations are materially shaped by US and EU sanctions, which restrict counterparty access to the global financial system.

The bank is currently operating under acute macroeconomic stress: inflation reached 48.6% in October 2025 and approximately 50% during the conflict that began February 28, 2026; the rial collapsed to a record 1.81 million per USD by April 29, 2026; the World Bank forecasts GDP contractions of 1.7% (2025) and 2.8% (2026); and government-estimated war damage totals approximately $270 billion (roughly 60% of GDP), with reconstruction needs of $300 billion. Over 1 million jobs were lost and job vacancies collapsed by 80% in peak hiring season. CBI's governor has publicly urged the restoration of Internet access and the pursuit of peace talks with Washington as part of broader stabilization efforts, and the institution is coordinating with regional partners (Pakistan, Oman, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia) on diplomatic and economic de-escalation.

Name

Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Legal name

Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran (بانک مرکزی جمهوری اسلامی ایران)

Website

https://cbi.ir

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran (CBI) is Iran's sovereign monetary authority, founded in 1960 and headquartered in Tehran. It issues the rial, regulates the banking sector, and manages foreign exchange reserves for the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tehran

HQ country

Iran

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Core offering

Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran (CBI) is the sovereign monetary authority of Iran, responsible for designing and implementing monetary and credit policies, issuing the national currency (Iranian rial), regulating and supervising the banking system, and managing the country's foreign exchange reserves. As a state-owned central bank, it sets policy interest rates, controls money supply, oversees licensed banks, and conducts currency interventions to manage the rial's value.

Product overview

No product or service information available in the provided sources. The Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran is a central monetary institution. The source material contains only news coverage related to geopolitical events, economic crisis reporting, and central bank leadership changes during the Iran-US conflict period.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Monetary Policy Design and Implementation Design and execution of Iran's monetary and credit policies, including setting policy interest rates, controlling money supply, and managing liquidity in the banking system for the Iranian government and licensed banks.
• Currency Issuance (Iranian Rial Banknotes) Sole issuance of Iranian rial banknotes, including new denominations such as the ten-million rial note introduced during the currency crisis, serving the Iranian public and the domestic economy.
• Banking Sector Regulation and Supervision Regulatory oversight and supervision of licensed commercial and specialized banks operating in Iran, including licensing, prudential supervision, and compliance enforcement.
• Foreign Exchange Reserve Management Management of Iran's foreign exchange reserves and currency intervention operations to manage the rial's value against the US dollar and other currencies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Central bank governor urging president to restore Internet access and pursue peace talks with Washington

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PakistancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 April 2026Pakistan facilitated engagement between the US and Iran amid ongoing tensions, hosting the Islamabad Talks as a diplomatic intermediary. Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to convey observations between the parties following failed direct US-Iran talks.
• OmanminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 April 2026Oman and Iran began discussions to ensure safe transit of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz amid regional conflicts, with proposals to maintain stability and uninterrupted movement in this global energy corridor.
• EgyptminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEgypt facilitated initial back-channel diplomatic discussions between the US and Iran through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, contributing to Trump's reversal on strikes against Iranian power plants.
• TurkeyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTurkey participated in peace talks alongside Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and other nations to broker peace between the US and Iran.
• Saudi ArabiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSaudi Arabia participated in peace talks alongside Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey to broker peace between the US and Iran, with private skepticism expressed about quick agreement given wide gaps between positions.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye: Turkey's central bank. Comparable given Turkey's participation in regional peace talks alongside Pakistan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, and shared experience managing high inflation and currency volatility in an emerging market context.
• Central Bank of Oman: Oman's central bank. Direct peer given joint discussions with Iran on safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz and shared Gulf regional monetary policy coordination on energy-corridor economies.
• Central Bank of Egypt: Egypt's central monetary authority. Direct peer given Egypt's active diplomatic role facilitating US-Iran back-channel discussions and parallel challenges managing currency depreciation and inflation in a sanctions-impacted emerging market.
• Saudi Central Bank (SAMA): Saudi Arabia's central monetary authority. Comparable given Saudi participation in peace talks and shared regional responsibility for managing petrodollar-linked reserves and monetary policy in Gulf economies.
• State Bank of Pakistan: Pakistan's central bank and monetary authority. Most directly comparable peer given Pakistan's role as core diplomatic intermediary for Iran and shared regional monetary policy challenges. Both operate under sanctions-adjacent conditions in the Middle East/South Asia region.

Regional players

• Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates: UAE's central bank. Regional peer in the Gulf monetary ecosystem with comparable functions in currency issuance, banking regulation, and reserve management, though operating in a more stable economic environment.
• Bank of Israel: Israel's central bank. Regional peer operating in the same Middle East conflict theater, with comparable exposure to wartime economic conditions and similar mandate for monetary stability under geopolitical stress.

Broad incumbents

• Federal Reserve System: The US central bank system. Broad incumbent peer with full monetary policy, currency issuance, and reserve management functions; relevant counterpart given ongoing US-Iran geopolitical tensions affecting CBI's operating environment.
• Bank of England: One of the world's oldest central banks with full monetary authority functions. Broad incumbent comparable in core mandate (monetary policy, currency issuance, financial stability) though operating in a developed-market, non-sanctioned context.
• People's Bank of China: China's central bank. Broad incumbent with full monetary authority over a large emerging-market economy; relevant given China's role as a major buyer of Iranian oil and potential alternative-currency trade settlement partner for Iran.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran