KFC Restaurant in Tehran Closed

While news agencies reported the closure of the "Halal KFC" restaurant in Tehran, 16 members of parliament issued a notice calling for the prevention of the establishment of the "American fast-food restaurant" in Iran. The AANA news agency, affiliated with the Islamic Azad University, reported that the "Halal KFC" restaurant was closed on Tuesday, November 3. Asadollah Ahmadishahriyar, the head of the food sellers' union, also told the news agency that this restaurant had not provided any "documents or business licenses" to the union so far. According to Mr. Ahmadishahriyar, the head of the Tehran Chamber of Guilds also accused the restaurant's CEO of forging his signature to obtain a license. The "Halal KFC" restaurant stated on its website that it received an "official license" from the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade. However, Mojtaba Khosrowtaj, the deputy for internal trade at the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade, previously denied the issuance of an operating license to KFC and McDonald's, stating that any company wishing to enter Iran must first obtain permission from the relevant union. In recent days, some conservative media outlets have protested against the operation of the "Halal KFC" restaurant in Iran. Meanwhile, 16 members of parliament on Tuesday issued a notice to the ministers of interior and industry, mine and trade, demanding the "prevention of cafes and restaurants with Western names and styles, and recently the American fried chicken restaurant, as places for the display of luxury and decadence and behaviors contrary to Iranian-Islamic culture and norms and Sharia." Among the signatories of this notice are Ali Motahari, Mehdi Koochakzadeh, Hamid Rasai, Morteza Aghatehrani, Bijan Nobaveh, and Ahmad Salek. According to Iranian media reports, Mohammad Dehghan, a member of the parliamentary board, described the signing of this notice by Ali Motahari and Mehdi Koochakzadeh, who have different political inclinations, as "strange." The reaction of parliament members comes as the "Halal KFC" restaurant announced that it has the representation of the KFC (Halal) company from Turkey, and no restaurant is registered in Iran on the KFC USA website. In 2011, individuals claiming to be representatives of KFC in Iran held a press conference promising to open one hundred restaurants in Tehran, Shiraz, Mashhad, Tabriz, and several other major cities. However, no reports about the opening of these restaurants were published afterward. The "Yam" company, owner of the KFC chain, also issued a statement denying the opening of any branches of its restaurants in Iran and announced that it has taken legal action against the company and individuals who have misused its name and brand in Iran. After the Vienna nuclear agreement, some close to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic warned about the presence of American brands in Iran. Meanwhile, Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani, the head of the Supreme Leader's office, stated on August 22 that "Americans are even trying to promote their culture and lifestyle through the establishment of companies and cartels and launching some economic enterprises like McDonald's." Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, also requested in his letter to the Iranian president for the approval of the Vienna nuclear agreement that after the lifting of sanctions, "any consumption materials from America should be strictly avoided."