Cabinet Approves Regulation Guaranteeing Food Security and Improving People's Livelihoods

Effective from

27 April 2026

Issued by

Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade

Reference

No. 7317234

The Iranian Cabinet of Ministers has approved a regulation titled “Guaranteeing Food Security and Improving People’s Livelihoods,” adopted with the stated approach of preserving household purchasing power. The regulation was issued under Cabinet Decree No. 172076/t65236h, dated at the Cabinet session of December 30, 2025 (1404/10/10), and formally communicated to relevant ministries and agencies on January 4, 2026. It was jointly proposed by the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad and other economic ministries, based on constitutional authority and Clause (j) of Note 5 of the 1403 national budget law. The Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade subsequently circulated the decree to the Customs Administration and provincial trade offices as guidance affecting the import order-registration procedure.

The regulation’s first chapter focuses on household livelihood support. From the date of notification, a monthly commodity-coupon credit is activated on a provisional basis for the entire covered population, with a four-month advance allocation credited to eligible households’ accounts and usable from the time it is activated. All Iranian households residing in the country that currently receive cash subsidies, along with all government employees and retirees, are covered as of the notification date; households not currently receiving cash subsidies may join the plan upon request. The commodity credit can be redeemed at participating stores and retail units. A separate provision addresses seasonal cost increases in the covered goods basket, to be assessed quarterly and offset through the commodity-coupon support account.

The second chapter governs foreign currency supply for livestock inputs and essential goods (excluding wheat), to be provided through the relevant bank’s currency portal following confirmation from the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad that the imported inputs and goods have been supplied. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance, in cooperation with the Central Bank of Iran and the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad, must determine the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad’s outstanding unfunded currency obligations for imports of livestock inputs and essential goods across public and private sectors and propose a settlement mechanism to the oversight task force. Currency earned from exports by certain state-owned, affiliated, and subsidiary companies is prioritized for funding livestock inputs, essential goods, and medical drugs and equipment, as determined by the Central Bank. Licensing bodies (the Food and Drug Administration, National Standards Organization, Veterinary Organization, and Plant Protection Organization) are required to issue necessary permits within a maximum of five days to expedite customs clearance, and the Customs Administration must act immediately upon receiving those permits. The Ministry of Roads and Urban Development (Ports and Maritime Organization) must give priority berthing, unloading, and warehouse-receipt issuance to vessels carrying livestock inputs and essential goods. Provisions also address central bank financing facilities for agricultural producers, a barter mechanism exchanging livestock inputs, essential goods, and medications for oil (subject to Supreme Economic Coordination Council authorization), and Central Bank currency conversion of up to $2.5 billion from the National Development Fund, conditional on the Supreme Leader’s authorization, into a dedicated account held for the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare.

The regulation’s remaining chapters address resource funding, special audits of livestock-input and essential-goods inventories imported at preferential exchange rates, and implementation oversight. An oversight task force is established, chaired jointly by the ministers of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare; Economic Affairs and Finance; Intelligence; Interior; Agriculture Jihad; Industry, Mine and Trade; Roads and Urban Development; and Justice, together with the heads of the Plan and Budget Organization, the Central Bank, a representative of the Judiciary, the head of the Government Information Council, the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting Organization, and the government spokesperson. Provincial governors must establish corresponding provincial task forces to continuously monitor the supply of livestock inputs and essential goods. All regulations and directives conflicting with this decree are suspended and subject to review by the task force, and oversight bodies including the Supreme Audit Court, the General Inspection Organization, the Ministry of Intelligence, and judicial officers are tasked with monitoring compliance within the regulation’s framework.

Key Details

• Approval authority: Cabinet of Ministers
• Responsible organization: Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade
• Classification: Circular
• Affected procedure: Order Registration
• Document number: 7317234
• Unique identifier: 405020767299
• Document date: February 24, 2026
• Publication date: April 27, 2026
• Effective date: April 27, 2026
• Expiration date: Not specified

This summary is provided for orientation only. The official Persian text issued by the relevant Iranian authority is the governing version.