Mir cards now accepted across Iran after payment system integration with Russia

 Sunday, June 21, 2026 11:00:06 AM

Russians can now freely use Mir cards in Iran, following the completion of the final phase of integrating Russia’s Mir payment system with Iran’s Shetab network. Muhammad Abed Amiri, head of the Iran division at the BRICS Hub platform, confirmed the news to TASS on the sidelines of the Russia-ASEAN events in Kazan.

According to Amiri, Mir cards are now accepted without restrictions throughout Iran. “You can now easily use Mir cards in Iran. The third and final stage of integrating the Shetab payment system in Iran with Mir has been completed. Payments in Iran can now be made smoothly,” he said.

He clarified that this marks the conclusion of the last of three phases to connect the two national payment networks.

Addressing the impact of rising tensions in the Middle East on trade between Moscow and Tehran, the BRICS Hub representative noted that business is largely continuing as usual. However, he cited temporary communication outages-linked to internet shutdowns in Iran-as a challenge, though these did not halt trading activity.

Amiri also stated that Moscow and Tehran aim to boost bilateral trade by 2030, seeking to further expand business opportunities between the countries.

Earlier reports indicated that the A7 payment system, which helps bypass sanctions, along with Promsvyazbank, received a fatwa allowing Islamic cross-border transfers for settlements with partners in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, including Iran. This move forms part of Russia’s broader effort to build alternative financial infrastructure amid its limited access to SWIFT.