# Bank Melli Iran

> Source: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/melli-iran
> research date 2026-06-01 · extracted at 2026-10-03
> Publisher: Barcoder — encyclopedia of QR, barcode and payment-code standards

Specifications:
- [BMI — official](https://bmi.ir/)

## Overview

**Bank Melli Iran (BMI)** is **Iranian state-owned commercial bank** + **Iranian government Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance fully owned** + **Iran's largest commercial bank by assets + branches** + **founded May 17 1928 in Tehran Iran as Iran's first national commercial bank** <sup>[1][1], [Iran, Islamic Republic of report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/IR)</sup>.

## History

**May 17 1928 — Bank Melli Iran BMI founded in Tehran Iran as Iran's first national commercial bank under Reza Shah Pahlavi-era Iranian state banking modernisation** distinctive Iranian banking heritage as Iran's oldest commercial bank.

**1979 — Bank Melli Iran nationalised post-Iranian Revolution under Islamic Republic of Iran banking nationalisation**.

**2014 — BMI Mobile banking app launch**.

## Ownership & operator

**Operating entity**: **Bank Melli Iran BMI** (Iranian state-owned commercial bank).

**Major shareholders**: **Iranian government via Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance fully owned**.

**Regulators**: **Central Bank of Iran CBI Bank Markazi Jomhouri Islami Iran**.

## Technical integration

BMI Mobile app (Android primary; iOS limited due to US sanctions on Apple App Store distribution in Iran) + bmi.ir online + Bank Melli Iran branch network across Iran + Iraq + UAE + Oman + Afghanistan + Russia + France + Germany + UK + Azerbaijan + Tajikistan + Turkmenistan + BMI Shetab cards (Iranian national card scheme; not Visa/Mastercard due to US sanctions); Shetab Iranian national interbank payment processing system + Shaparak QR Iranian national QR payment scheme + Iranian Rial IRR domestic transfers.

## Implementations & partners

**Major Iranian banking + payments competitors**: [Bank Saderat Iran](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/saderat-iran) (Bank Saderat Iran; Iranian state-owned commercial bank) + [Bank Mellat](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/mellat-iran) (Bank Mellat; Iranian state-owned commercial bank) + [Bank Tejarat](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/tejarat-iran) (Bank Tejarat; Iranian state-owned commercial bank) + [Parsian Bank](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/parsian-iran) (Parsian Bank; Iranian private commercial bank) + [Bank Pasargad](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/pasargad-iran) (Bank Pasargad; Iranian private commercial bank).

**Regulators**: Central Bank of Iran CBI Bank Markazi Jomhouri Islami Iran.

## Status

**Active, Iranian state-owned commercial bank + Iranian government Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance fully owned + Iran's largest commercial bank by assets + branches + founded May 17 1928 in Tehran Iran as Iran's first national commercial bank** <sup>[1][1], [2][2]</sup>.

## Sources

[1]: https://bmi.ir/ "BMI — official"
[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_Melli_Iran "BMI — Wikipedia"
[ir-cro]: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/IR

- [1] [BMI — official][1]
- [2] [BMI — Wikipedia][2]
- <sup>[Iran, Islamic Republic of report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/IR)</sup> In-corpus: `reports/countries/IR-iran.md`

## Source

Biography extracted from [melli-iran.md](https://docs.barcoder.ai/source/wallets/melli-iran). See `matrix.md` for standards-support matrix if present.