Not sure from where you're getting that news but that's not a fact. Occasionally, I use a couple of exchanges [with "real" offices; one of them is mainly in Tehran while the other one has its main branch in Isfahan + a small branch in Tehran] that offers cryptocurrency buy/sells and the latter one had a Q&A social post last month that mentioned there's still no such a rule that forces them to close or rather labeling what they're doing as illegal.
- Both of these exchanges initially started as exchanges for other online payment types and later added buy/sells for BTCitcoin.
Personally, I know a few local miners and last time that I checked, they were required to obtain a license that allows them to mine but forces them to pay a higher rate in comparison to normal consumers.
This link is a bitcoin exchange topic in Iran:
https://cutt.ly/7bKWU1P- Hello, they say that the bit mining license has become easier, does anyone know?
+ Their own hands to ordinary people who do not give permission (government)
- What if the device is licensed?
+ They fine everyone because of the electricity bill. I have never heard of an ordinary person having a license.
It is a crime to buy, sell and use mining devices or rent a place to use them due to the smuggling of these devices.https://cutt.ly/5bKWW02