Asia · Southern Asia · Sovereign state
Current time in Iran
A single time zone at UTC+03:30.
Friday, June 5, 2026
About Iran's time
A single time zone.
Iran operates on a single time zone, UTC+03:30, known as Iran Standard Time (IRST), which is one of only a few 45-minute offset zones in the world—making it a quirky middle point between two whole-hour zones. Notably, Iran does not currently observe Daylight Saving Time, simplifying time consistency year-round.
Major cities
Cities of Iran.
History
How Iran keeps time.
Iran officially adopted UTC+03:30 in 1946, replacing the older solar time used historically based on Tehran's local mean time. The half-hour offset was chosen to better align national time with the country's geographic position between two standardized hour meridians. At various points in the 20th century, Iran experimented with Daylight Saving Time for energy conservation and daylight alignment, but as of recent decades, DST has been discontinued. The country maintains a unified time zone despite its large east-west span, ensuring synchronized national operations.
Did you know?
Things about Iran's time.
Iran’s UTC+03:30 offset is part of a select group of non-standard offsets globally—shared only with India’s neighboring Afghanistan (UTC+04:30) and parts of Australia, though Iran’s uniqueness lies in its single-zone enforcement across diverse regions. The half-hour offset causes clocks in western Iran to align closely with Greenwich Mean Time +3.5 hours, while eastern areas are slightly ahead of solar noon but still within practical tolerance. This unusual offset can create brief confusion for international scheduling but remains deeply embedded in national infrastructure and daily life.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Iran's time zone, daylight saving rules, and how to handle it in software. Can't find what you need? Email [email protected].
- Does Iran observe Daylight Saving Time?
- No, Iran does not currently observe Daylight Saving Time. It remains on UTC+03:30 (IRST) throughout the year.
- Why is Iran's time zone UTC+03:30?
- Iran adopted UTC+03:30 in 1946 to better align its national clock with its geographic position between two full-hour meridians, a compromise reflecting both western and eastern longitudinal realities.
- How does Iran's time compare to neighboring countries?
- Iran is 3.5 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). It shares a similar half-hour offset with Afghanistan (UTC+04:30), while neighboring Iraq uses UTC+03:00 and Pakistan uses UTC+05:00.
- Is Iran the only country with a 45-minute time zone?
- No, Iran is one of a few countries using a 45-minute offset. Others include Afghanistan (UTC+04:30), parts of Australia (e.g., ACST UTC+09:30), and Myanmar (UTC+06:30), though each applies it differently or only regionally.
- Does Iran have multiple time zones?
- No, Iran maintains a single time zone (UTC+03:30) across its entire territory, despite its large geographic span from east to west.
Free · Developer API
Time, as JSON.
Every IANA time zone with live offsets, DST status, and the countries and cities that use them — clean, dependable JSON. Sign up free and get an API key in seconds.
countries, cities, convert, DST transitions coming next.
Get your free API key →