TEHRAN—An official with the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts announced the lifting of the ban on backgammon exports.

According to Mehr News Agency, Farzad Ojani said that after many years, this ban will be lifted with the approval of the Trade Promotion Organization and will be announced soon.

Referring to the long process of pursuing this demand, he said that extensive correspondence and follow-up was carried out with the relevant agencies and finally, based on a recent inquiry from the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade’s Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Department, the ban on backgammon exports will be lifted. 

“Currently, correspondence has been conducted with Dehghan Dehnavi, head of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization, and we are awaiting the official announcement of this decision from the Exports and Imports Laws and Regulations Department.”

Ojani said that provinces such as Isfahan, Fars, Kermanshah, and Kordestan which are considered the main centers of backgammon production in the country, were unable to exploit this economic potential for years due to legal restrictions, despite the high demand from neighboring countries' markets. 

He continued that lifting this ban could pave the way for sustainable employment for artists and handicraft producers. It is predicted that with the development of legal exports of backgammon, the export value of this product will reach one million dollars, and an important step will be taken towards strengthening the export of Iranian wooden products, he added.

In conclusion, Ojani expressed hope for the future of this field, adding: “With the official announcement of the lifting of the ban, domestic producers can benefit from new opportunities in global markets and Iranian backgammon, as one of the noble symbols of the country's art and industry, will gain a more worthy position in the global export arena.”

Director general of Kordestan Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Department Mansour Mehrzad said in April 2025 that six tangible and intangible heritages of Kordestan province have been registered on the National Heritage List this year. 

He said backgammon has been registered on the National Heritage List. “We proposed backgammon for national registration in 2011. The backgammon geography was titled by the name of Kordestan province in 2016.” 

KD