UK

"Given the dearth of capital investment in Iran dating back 30 years, there are also significant infrastructure building opportunities to support the expansion in global trade. So while companies like UK-based Seafast Logistics are forming joint ventures with Iranian logistics providers on container shipping, break bulk, project cargo, refrigerated goods, and air freight into and from all Iranian ports, U.S. logistics firms can only watch…and wait for something to change." (Global Trade, "Transportation/Logistics:Iran is Back Open for Business," 11/1/2016).

"Western insurers are slowly reaching deals with Iran as they seek to re-enter a multi-billion dollar market although the pace of business is hampered by banking restrictions ten months on from the lifting of international sanctions...Aviation and energy are two sectors in focus, industry executives say, along with political risk cover, even if there have been few deals so far. Christian Bieri, EMEA reinsurance head at insurance group MS Amlin, said Iran was 'very much under discussion'. 'It’s very high up the agenda," Bieri said. "It's going to be something for 2017.' (Reuters, "Cautious Western insurers rebuild business ties with Iran," 10/21/2016).

"Western insurers are slowly reaching deals with Iran as they seek to re-enter a multi-billion dollar market although the pace of business is hampered by banking restrictions ten months on from the lifting of international sanctions...Iran is in more active talks with insurers to provide cover in a market valued at $9 billion overall last year and potentially double that in the next decade. Western companies need insurance in order to resume business with Iran. Shipping and trade credit insurance, which remove the risk of non-payment for goods, are the first types of insurance being offered...the UK's Standard Club said they were covering vessels trading to and from Iran, but did not say whether this related to Iranian shipping firms.." (Reuters, "Cautious Western insurers rebuild business ties with Iran," 10/21/2016).

"Western insurers are slowly reaching deals with Iran as they seek to re-enter a multi-billion dollar market although the pace of business is hampered by banking restrictions ten months on from the lifting of international sanctions...Iran is in more active talks with insurers to provide cover in a market valued at $9 billion overall last year and potentially double that in the next decade. Western companies need insurance in order to resume business with Iran. Shipping and trade credit insurance, which remove the risk of non-payment for goods, are the first types of insurance being offered...Jonathan Andrews, director and head of eastern underwriting with Britain's Steamship Mutual, said it was insuring ships for Iranian tanker operator NITC and also for Iranian cargo ship operator IRISL.'We have a long history of insuring Iranian ship owners,' Andrews told Reuters. 'We are happy to be insuring our former members again.'" (Reuters, "Cautious Western insurers rebuild business ties with Iran," 10/21/2016).

In 2020, Vodafone Group PLC was listed as a divested security on the Michigan State Retirement System list for active business operations in Iran. 

--

"Vodafone Group Plc reportedly provides telecommunications services in Iran. In 2019, CalSTRS identified Vodafone Group Plc as potentially having ties to Iran and began the review process. In 2020, CalSTRS removed Vodafone Group Plc after reviewing the company’s internal controls to prevent sanction violations."

--

"Vodafone presumably bowed to geopolitical trends by terminating a Partner Markets deal formed in October 2016 with Iranian service provider Dodeh Gostar ASR Novin (operating under the HiWEB brand – Vodafonewatch, #149).

Although a Group spokesperson told Vodafonewatch in October 2018 that the HiWEB arrangement remained active (Vodafonewatch, #169), it seems that the agreement came to an end shortly after.

In its latest 20-F filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, which again included a disclosure pursuant to Section 219 of the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 and Section 13(r) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, Vodafone said the arrangement to provide technical and commercial advice to HiWEB was terminated with effect from early-November 2018.

Vodafone revealed that no revenue was generated from the HiWEB deal in the financial year to 31 March 2019 (FY18-19). However, it did declare roaming and interconnect revenue from its relationship with mobile and fixed-line operators in Iran of €491,000 (£439,807) and €634,000 respectively, as well as €17,600 from the provision of telecoms services to nine Iranian embassies around the world." (Vodafone Watch, "Vodafone Group quietly exits Iran," 7/14/2019.)

--

In 2019 Vodafone was listed on the Texas Comptroller List of Companies Engaging in Scrutinized Business Operations in Iran.  --

In its 2018 Annual Report filed with the SEC in 2019, Vodafone explains business activities in Iran. 

--

"Company announced it was "monitoring the situation."  Rob Davies, “How Trump’s Iran deal exit could hit aviation, oil and car industries,” The Guardian (UK), May 9, 2018

--

"In October 2016, Vodafone announced a non-equity agreement with Dodeh Gostar ASR Novin under the HiWEB Brand. HiWEB is a non-government-owned Iranian internet company and together with Vodafone, the company HiWEB plans to roll out, modernise and expand the telecommunications network and improve fixed mobile services." 

--

"Vodafone Group PLC is partnering with an Iranian internet-service provider to help improve its local networks—the first big Western firm to jump into Iran after the U.S. moved earlier this month to make it easier for companies doing business in the Islamic Republic. The U.K. telecoms carrier said on Tuesday it plans to assist Iran’s HiWEB, a small, privately owned operator, in modernizing infrastructure and expanding landline and mobile internet services for personal and business customers. It didn’t disclose details, including any planned investment in the venture. It said it wouldn’t take an equity stake in the project." (The Wall Street Journal,  "Calling:Tehran Vodafone Leaps Into Iran With Internet-Service Deal"10/18/2016).

"Jan Dehn, head of research at Ashmore, the emerging markets-focused asset manager, said: 'We are looking closely at Iran. I was there recently. The current government is reformist and keen to show progress. Iran needs funding and wants to attract foreign capital. 'While sanctions have been reduced, there are still major obstacles that make investment difficult. The goalposts have been shifting frequently when it comes to regulation. We find that even if investments are permitted according to the law, there is a growing reluctance [among] banks to get involved in any transactions that could become subject to changing interpretations of existing laws.'" (Financial Times, "Iran moves to woo foreign investors," 10/17/2016).

"There is growing political pressure on European banks to support corporate clients seeking to do business in Iran. Apart from an eagerness to seize opportunities for trade with a country of 77m people, European politicians also want to support the moderate government of Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani. British prime minister David Cameron wrote to Barclays in February asking the bank to explain its refusal to handle a payment on behalf of Molyslip Atlantic, a British lubricant maker arranging sales in Iran." (Financial Times, “Europe’s banks begin tentative return to Iran,” 4/3/2016)

"Iran is pushing to find new ways to extract and export its vast natural-gas reserves, including developing facilities to liquefy the commodity and ship it to Europe in two years, now that Western sanctions have lifted, according to a top Iranian official... Mr. Kameli said his company is also in talks with European companies, including Oslo- and Nasdaq-listed Golar LNG Ltd., to build floating LNG facilities—offshore vessels on which the gas would be liquefied. Such a project would take 'less than two years,' he said. Golar declined to comment. Once LNG facilities are in place, Mr. Kameli said, exports to 'Europe definitely could be considered.'" (The Wall Street Journal, “Iran Seeks Rapid Reboot for Natural Gas Exports,” 1/26/2016)

"Several European airlines aim to resume their flights to Iran following a landmark nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers, the state-owned IRAN daily reported on Thursday. The newspaper quoted Mohammad Khodakarami, deputy head of Iran's civil aviation authority, as saying British Airways officials visited Tehran on Tuesday to discuss resumption of flights. He did not elaborate. Khodakarami also said both Air France and Dutch flagship KLM have already expressed their readiness to resume flights to Tehran. Air France said last month it would resume flights to Tehran for the first time in more than seven years starting in April. A KLM spokesman said the carrier always looks for opportunities for new destinations but has not yet make a decision about resuming flights that were suspended in 2013. 'At this moment there are no concrete plans to open Tehran. KLM follows the current situation concerning the lifting of sanctions against Iran closely,' spokesman Joost Ruempol said. BA also has not announced any firm plans to return to Iran, though Willie Walsh, the chief executive of its parent International Airlines Group, reportedly told a recent conference the airline is interested in flying to Tehran soon." (AP, “Iran: European airlines set to resume flights to Tehran,” 1/28/2016)

Iranian Hackers Targeted Deloitte Via A Seriously Convincing Facebook Fake (October 14, 2017).

--

"The 3rd Banking and Business Forum Iran Europe will be held in Frankfurt on Nov. 16-17. Billed as a "major event on opportunities in investment, banking and finance in Iran" it will take place in the context of the 19th Euro Finance Week Conference, a major European banking and finance event. The privately-owned Saman Bank is co-sponsoring the forum, reports the bank's official website. International Bankers Forum president Nader Maleki and Iran's ambassador to Berlin Ali Majedi will preside over the meeting on "banking and finance – insights on the current situation." Valiollah Seif, governor of the Central Bank of Iran will deliver the keynote  speech with a focus on Iran's nuclear accord in a segment titled "new opportunities for Iran and the EU: Implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action". Joining Seif will be senior EU diplomat Helga Schmid who is the secretary general of the European External Action Service. Rudi Bonte, Marcus Pleyer, Will Newton and Rolf M. Zollner are among the speakers. Bonte, a senior advisor to the Deloitte Banking Union Center in Frankfurt, will detail a European perspective on the need for financial sector reforms." (Financial Tribune, "Focus on Investment, Banking at Iran-EU Forum," 11/10/2016).

--

Deloitte has two speakers listed at the 3rd Banking and Business Forum Iran-Europe, taking place in Frankfurt, Germany, from November 16-17, 2016. (Euro Finance Week, Speakers).

--

A representative of Deloitte, attended the FT Iran Summit 2016 (“the Summit”), that took place at the Landmark Hotel in London on March 9, 2016

--
“The world’s ‘Big Four’ accountancy and professional services firms are taking steps to establish operations in Iran following the lifting of international sanctions in January. KPMG, Deloitte, PWC and EY are understood to have held discussions over either setting up offices in Tehran or otherwise commencing operations in the country. It is not yet known when such movements would take place, but the auditing firms told Arabian Business they had had sufficient demand from clients looking to enter the market to justify an expansion of their services into Iran… A Deloitte spokesman said that the firm has ‘no on the ground presence in Iran’ at the moment, ‘but is able to provide clients certain professional services from teams outside Iran’. The spokesman added: ‘Deloitte continuously assesses developments to set appropriate plans and strategy for the Iran market.’” (Arabian Business, “‘Big Four’ plan to set up in Iran,” 3/3/2016)