Iran International
A banking disruption lasting more than two weeks has left many Iranians unable to access their accounts, make purchases or transfer money, adding to financial pressures after the recent war and ceasefire.
The problems began on June 13, when customers of several Iranian banks reported failures in mobile banking services and routine financial transactions.
Iran's Central Bank attributed the disruption to a cyberattack on banking infrastructure, saying customer information remained secure and no unauthorized access to banking data had occurred.
However, messages sent to Iran International show that many of the problems remain unresolved more than two weeks later.
Customers said mobile and internet banking services, card-to-card transfers, check processing, balance inquiries and other routine transactions continue to suffer from errors, delays or complete failures.
Several people reported that money had been deducted from their accounts but never reached the intended recipient.
One customer said fifty million rials transferred on June 28 from a bank to another was withdrawn from the sender's account but never credited to the recipient.
A retiree in Tehran said 500 million rials disappeared from a newly opened Bank Saderat account following the disruption without explanation.
Another customer said funds deposited into an account at Bank Tejarat on June 24 could not be located by bank staff despite the customer presenting a transaction reference number.
Payment failures disrupt daily life
Customers also described widespread failures of point-of-sale terminals, disrupting routine shopping.
In some cases, money was deducted from customers' accounts without reaching merchants, with several people saying banks, including Bank Melli, had not provided clear answers about the missing transactions.
Others said alternative payment methods such as card-to-card transfers through banking applications were also unavailable, making purchases impossible.
"Online shopping isn't possible, card-to-card transfers don't work, point-of-sale purchases fail and there is no normal access to bank accounts," one citizen wrote. "Alongside inflation and poverty, these problems have only increased pressure on people."
A business owner said delayed settlements had disrupted operations. "Payments are not reaching my account, and it has affected my business," the person said.
Frozen accounts and delayed salaries
People said the disruption extends beyond failed transactions to broader restrictions on account access.
Several reported that transaction notification messages had stopped arriving, account statements were unavailable and balance inquiries could not be completed.
Others said bank accounts at institutions including Bank Melli, Bank Sepah, Bank Saderat, Bank Refah and Bank Saman had been frozen.
The restrictions have complicated access to salaries and pensions for many customers.
"Employees still haven't been paid," one customer wrote. "My account has been blocked just when my monthly salary should be deposited."
The disruption has also affected checks and loan payments.
A resident of Isfahan said a check issued to purchase a television was bounced despite sufficient funds being available in the account.
Questions over cause of disruption
After services at Bank Melli, Bank Tejarat and Bank Saderat failed on June 23, Informatics Services Corporation attributed the outage to a cyberattack.
Some customers questioned that explanation, arguing the restrictions reflected deliberate measures rather than technical failures.
One customer suggested banks were trying to discourage deposit withdrawals by disrupting transactions. Another said authorities had frozen funds because of financial pressures following the recent conflict.
The Central Bank rejected the allegations on Monday that it had directed banks to use a particular information technology provider to restore services, saying each bank independently selects contractors within existing regulations.
Despite repeated assurances from Iranian officials that banking services would soon return to normal, customers continue to report widespread disruptions.
Technology news website CITNA reported on Monday that service outages and instability remain widespread, causing significant disruption to businesses and eroding public confidence.
Tehran Chamber of Commerce chairman Mahmoud Najafi Arab told CITNA the disruption had inflicted serious damage on the business environment at a time when the country needed faster financial services.
