U.S. Lifts Iran Sanctions on Laptops, Mobile Phones

President Barack Obama’s administration lifted U.S. trade sanctions that bar sales of consumer communications equipment and software to ordinary Iranians.

The policy shift was announced today by the U.S. State and Treasury departments, which administer the sanctions imposed on such consumer electronics since 1992. The Treasury Department is issuing what’s known as a general license, permitting sales to non-government consumers involving U.S. hardware such as mobile telephones and laptop computers, and software such as antivirus programs.