JSE-listed MTN Group, which is currently embroiled in several lawsuits in Iran, said in a conference call on the back of its results for the full year to December that it had pulled its three secondees out of the country in early January.
"We previously had three secondees in Iran. We took the secondees out of Iran at the beginning of early January… Two are South African, one is from Lebanon. So, as of the middle of January, we don't have any secondees in Iran," said CEO Ralph Mupita.
MTN reversed its loss-making position in the year to end-December, reporting profit after tax of R47 billion versus a loss of R4 billion for the prior period. As a result, it reported a 45% increase in its dividend to 500c.
During the call, Mupita – head of Africa’s largest mobile network operator – also noted that the Iranian operation, in which it has a 49% stake, is an investment rather than a business and MTN has no operational insight into the network or day-to-day activities.
Mupita made the point that MTN Irancell’s CEO had been unilaterally replaced when Alireza Rafiei was removed from the role in early 2026 in favour of Mohammadhossein Soleimanian. Soleimanian reportedly is a military veteran with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Shutdown
MTN Irancell operates from Tehran and runs one of the largest mobile networks in Iran. Rafiei’s dismissal by Iran authorities followed a delay in implementing a nationwide internet shutdown.
The government ordered a nation-wide shutdown of the internet on 8 January to control information during protests, unrest and security crises.
The protests in Iran were triggered by a mix of economic pressure, political anger and the country’s widening conflict with the US and Israel. The immediate spark was rising inflation and shortages of basic goods, including fuel and food, after sanctions and economic instability worsened living conditions.
Iran is currently embroiled in a war with the US and Israel, which launched coordinated strikes on Iranian military and nuclear-related targets on 28 February, the day after US president Donald Trump gave the go-ahead for strikes.
That quickly spread to the rest of the Middle East, disrupting shipping routes and raising concerns about global energy supplies, while fuelling fears of a broader regional war.
MTN has also been pulling out of the Middle East following its 2021 announcement that it would be exiting the region in two phases – first leaving its consolidated subsidiaries in Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan, and ultimately exiting its investment in Iran.
The company has since completed exits from Afghanistan and Yemen. In Syria, MTN abandoned operations after the government, under former president Bashar al-Assad, placed judicial control over the business.
Legal action
MTN is embroiled in several lawsuits around its Iranian operation. One, in which Turkcell claims it had originally been selected to win the licence but was later displaced by MTN, is playing out in South Africa, with Turkcell claiming MTN bribed officials.
This comes after the Supreme Court of Appeal ruled in April 2025 that South African courts have jurisdiction to hear the long-running dispute brought by Turkcell against MTN Group. MTN has applied for leave to appeal to the Constitutional Court of South Africa and is awaiting direction from the court.
Separately, MTN says it has been approached through US counsel regarding a grand jury investigation by the US Department of Justice relating to the group, its former Afghanistan subsidiary and MTN Irancell. The company says it is cooperating with the investigation and responding to requests for information, adding that it has not been charged with any violations of the law.
In addition, two complaints were filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia on 27 March 2022 under the Anti‑Terrorism Act against MTN Group, two former executives and MTN Irancell. MTN moved to dismiss the case, arguing that US courts do not have jurisdiction and that the complaints do not establish a valid claim under the Act.
In July 2023, the court rejected the motion and allowed plaintiffs to pursue jurisdictional discovery. After that process, MTN filed amended motions to dismiss the updated complaints in September 2025. The plaintiffs have since filed their opposition and MTN has submitted a reply. “MTN is awaiting the scheduling of the court hearing,” it said.
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