AI regulation in Iran (2026)

The Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution approved Iran's National Artificial Intelligence Document on 19 June 2024 (document 7816/1403), setting 14 policies and 11 goals including a target to rank among the top 10 AI nations by 2032 and become a regional research hub.

The Iranian Majlis passed the National AI Plan in May 2025 by 187 votes to 33, formally designating AI a national strategic imperative and allocating approximately $115 million in initial budget.

In October 2025 parliament approved establishment of the National Artificial Intelligence Organization as an autonomous body reporting directly to the President, tasked with coordinating infrastructure, R&D funding, private-sector engagement, and workforce training across government.

The Supreme Council of Cyberspace remains the highest policy-making body for all digital and AI affairs, issuing binding directives and defining strategic 'red lines'; NAIO must operate within those boundaries.

A 2025 law targeting the spread of false content mandates watermarking of synthetic media and established a National Committee for Content Verification, with criminal penalties for AI-generated misinformation — Iran's most concrete sectoral AI regulation to date.

All governance instruments are unified by an 'AI Sovereignty' philosophy: developing indigenous chips, localised data processing, and Persian-language AI to minimise dependence on foreign platforms, with high-risk AI defined primarily in terms of threats to public opinion, economic stability, or national security rather than consumer harm.