# Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture

Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, & Agriculture (Abbreviated as Tehran Chamber of Commerce) is the first economic institution in Iran, upon which many of the Country’s economic and commercial activities are based. Currently, Mahmoud Najafi –Arab is the President of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce.

## History

The establishment of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce likely coincided with the founding of the Ministry of Commerce and Agriculture in 1872 by Mirza Hosein Khan Sepahsalar, the then Minister of Commerce.

### Tehran Chamber of Commerce

With the fall of the Qajar dynasty and the beginning of the Pahlavi Dynasty rule in Iran, the necessity to address new needs in interaction with the world was felt. Therefore, by a government decree on February 7,1926, the establishment of the “Tehran Merchants’ Chamber” was ordered.
The Tehran Chamber of Commerce, as the commercial chamber of Iran, was established on October 9, 1926, in a small building near the Tehran Bazzar, under the presidency of Haj Mohammad Hassan Amin-Alzarb. Shortly after, Habibullah Amin al-Tojar took over the Presidency of the Chamber of Commerce, and five other prominent merchants formed its board of directors. In 1942, a new law was prepared to conduct elections directly, and the name of the chamber was changed to “Chamber of Commerce.” This somewhat prevented government interference in the election of the members of the Chamber of Commerce.

### Iran Chamber of Industries and Mines

In 1961, a group of Industrialists requested the establishment of the Chamber of Industries and Mines from Ali Amini, the then Prime Minister of Iran. Ultimately, with the efforts of Taher Ziaei (Minister of Industries and Mines), this request was approved in September 1962, in the same year, the Chamber of Industries and Mines of Iran was established, and 30 owners of industries and mines took charge of it under the presidency of Jafar Sharif-Emami. From 1962 to 1969, the Tehran Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Industries and Mines operated independently of each other. In 1969 the law for the merger of these two chambers was approved, and in January 1970, the Tehran Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Industries and Mines merged to establish the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines & Agriculture.

#### Presidents Of Tehran Chamber of Commerce

| No. | Name | Entered office | Left office | time in office |
| 1 | Mohammad Hossein Amin-alzarb | 1926 | 1933 | 7 years |
| 2 | Habibullah Amin al-Tojar | 1933 | 1934 | 1 year |
| 3 | Abdul Hossein Nikpour | 1934 | 1957 | 23 years |
| 4 | Abul-Hasan Sadeqi | 1958 | 1959 | 1 year |
| 5 | Ali Vakili | 1959 | 1965 | 6 years |
| 6 | Mohammad Khosroshahi | 1965 | 1971 | 6 years |
| 7 | Taher Ziaei | 1969 | 1980 | 11 years |
| 8 | Ali Akbar Mahlouji | 1971 | 1975 | 4 years |
| 9 | Enayat Behbahani | 1975 | 1979 | 4 years |

#### Revolution in Iran

After the Revolution of 1978-79, In the aftermath of the Revolution hundreds of industrial entrepreneurs, wealthy merchants, mine owners, bankers, and financiers, including most of the leading members of the representative body of Tehran chamber of Commerce, fled the country or were imprisoned and their property was confiscated. Major industries were incorporated into the public sector and came under the control of state managers.

## The Structure after the 1979 Revolution

The board of representatives of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce is elected every four years by the votes of its members (holders of commercial cards or membership, both individuals and legal entities). Since the years following the 1979 Revolution, 10 election cycles have been held.
Presidents Of Tehran Chamber of Commerce after Revolution In the first election that took place after the mission of the elected committee of the Imam in the chamber, Seyyed Alinaghi Khamoushi was elected to the position of the head of the Iran Chamber and the head of the Tehran Chamber. He held this position until 1386. Also, during the past years, Mohammad Reza Behzadian, Mohammad Nahavandian, Yahya Ale Eshaq and Masoud Khansari, Mahmoud Najafi Arab have been the presidents of the Tehran Chamber.
| No. | Name | Entered office | Left office | time in office |
| 1 | Alinaghi Khamoushi | 1980 | 2002 | 22 years |
| 2 | Mohammad Reza Behzadian | 2002 | 2005 | 3 years |
| 3 | Mohammad Nahavandian | 2005 | 2006 | 1 years |
| 4 | Yahya Ale Eshaq | 2006 | 2015 | 9 years |
| 5 | Masoud Khansari | 2015 | 2022 | 7 years |
| 6 | Mahmoud Najafi Arab | 2022 | | |