Iran
Business meetings tend to be formal. Most Iranian businessmen speak English and are polite and conservative in manner and expect an appropriate response from visitors. Exchanging calling cards is normally restricted to senior people. Appointments should be made and punctuality is expected for business meetings. Business gifts are quite acceptable. Office hours are normally 0800-1600 Saturday to Wednesday and 0900-1200 Thursday (some offices may close all day).
Young men in unmarked cars have robbed a number of visitors to Tehran. Travelers should only use pre-booked taxis. There have also been a number of attempted robberies by bogus policemen. If approached by anyone who claims to be a policeman, you should insist on a careful inspection of the officer’s identity card and should not surrender any documents or cash. If the policeman has a vehicle with him and you are not sure he is genuine, do not get in. A number of tourists have also had bags snatched by young men on motorcycles. Travelers should not carry large amounts of hard currency.
Westerners have been the target of kidnaps by armed gangs in south-east Iran. We cannot rule out the possibility of further kidnaps. We strongly advise against traveling past Bam and Bandar Abbas to the east. You should avoid Sistan via Baluchistan province and the Pakistan border area altogether. Zahedan, Zabol and Mirjaveh are particularly dangerous.
A number of hotels are available and there is a fair range of accommodation. The fact that a hotel bears the name of an internationally known chain does not necessarily imply any current management connection. Student accommodation is available in small hotels. Schools and private houses also offer accommodation. There are limited camping facilities and off-site camping is discouraged. Registration with the police is required when camping.
Telephone IDD service available, Iran's country code is 98 and the outgoing international code is 00. Telephone booths are yellow. Telex/telegram facilities are available at the Central Telegraph Office, Meydan Sepah, Tehran. There are three charge bands. There are also telex facilities at the major hotels. Post boxes are yellow and stamps can be bought at some cigarette kiosks.
Electricity is at 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are of the round two-pin type.
230 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are of the round two-pin type.
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Rice is the staple food and the Iranians cook it superbly. Dishes include chelo khoresh (rice topped with vegetables and meat in a nut sauce), polo chele (pilau rice), polo sabzi (pilau rice cooked with fresh herbs), polo chirin (sweet-sour saffron-colored rice with raisins, almonds and orange), adas polo (rice, lentils and meat), morgh polo (chicken and pilau rice), chelo kababs (rice with skewered meats cooked over charcoal), kofte (minced meat formed into meatballs), kofte gusht (meatloaf), abgusht (thick stew), khoreshe badinjan
(mutton and aubergine stew), mast-o-khier (cold yogurt-based soup flavored with mint, chopped cucumber and raisins) and dolmeh (stuffed aubergine, courgettes or peppers). Most Iranian meals are eaten with a spoon and fork, but visitors may choose a Western dish and eat with a knife and fork.
Fruit and vegetable juices are popular, as are sparkling mineral waters. Tea is also popular and drunk in the many tea-houses (ghahve khane). The consumption of alcohol is strictly forbidden. Tipping:
In large hotels, a 10 to 15 per cent service charge is added to the bill. In restaurants (chelokababis) it is usual to leave some small change. Tipping is not expected in tea-houses or small hotels.
