Apple to begin selling devices to customers who wish to bring them to Iran
Apple will begin selling its Mac and iOS products to customers who wish to take them into Iran, reports the Wall Street Journal. Previously there had been a US government ban on any electronics manufacturer selling products to customers intent on taking them back to the country, but the Obama administration has recently lifted those sanctions in the hopes of getting technology to Iranian citizens after a crackdown by the Iranian government on protesters and the means they use to communicate, including devices that allow them to spread the word on social media.
Last year, people unfamiliar with the US sanctions assumed Apple chose not to sell to Iranian customers who told Apple Store employees they meant to ship purchases back to their families in Iran. Regarding the lifting of the US sanctions, and Apple spokesperson told the WSJ:
"We've been told by the US government that most Apple products are covered by regulatory changes announced by the Treasury Department. As a result, Apple is no longer banned from selling Macs and iOS devices to customers who plan to bring or send those products to Iran."
Though electronics companies are no longer banned for selling products to Iranian citizens who wish to take them back home, those companies are still banned from selling products to the Iranian government.
