You’re trying to call a friend in Tehran or maybe you’re just checking a flight schedule. You look at the world clock and think, "Wait, is that right?"
Most people are used to time zones moving in neat, one-hour blocks. But Iran doesn’t play by those rules. It’s one of those rare spots on the map that uses a half-hour offset. If it’s noon in London, it’s not 3:00 PM or 4:00 PM in Tehran. It’s 3:30 PM.
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Honestly, the whole thing feels a bit like a glitch in the matrix if you aren't expecting it.
Iran Standard Time Now and the Big 2022 Change
So, here is the deal with Iran Standard Time now. Since September 2022, the country has officially ditched Daylight Saving Time (DST). Forever. Or at least for the foreseeable future.
Basically, the Iranian Parliament got tired of the biannual "spring forward, fall back" dance. They passed a law to keep the country on a permanent offset of UTC +3:30. No more switching clocks in March for Nowruz, and no more switching them back in September.
This was a massive shift. For decades, Iran followed the Solar Hijri calendar to decide when to move the clocks. Because that calendar is based on the astronomical equinox, the exact day of the time change would shift every year. It was confusing for locals and a nightmare for international businesses.
Now? It's simple. Sorta.
The government argued that the change would help people’s biological rhythms and make religious prayer times easier to track. Not everyone was happy, though. If you talk to people in Mashhad or Tehran, you’ll hear plenty of grumbling about the sun rising at 4:30 AM in the summer while they’re still trying to sleep.
Why the Half-Hour Offset Even Exists
You’ve probably wondered why places like Iran, India, and parts of Australia use these "weird" 30-minute intervals.
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It actually comes down to geography and the sun. Iran is a big country. Its official time is based on the 52.5-degree east meridian. This line runs about 400 kilometers east of Tehran. By setting the clock to +3:30, the government ensures that "solar noon"—when the sun is at its highest point—actually happens close to 12:00 PM for the majority of the population.
It’s more "natural" in a way, even if it makes your smartphone’s world clock look a little crowded.
Does it actually save energy?
The big debate in Iran right now isn't just about sleep; it’s about the power grid. Usually, countries use DST to save electricity by pushing daylight into the evening.
When Iran stopped changing the clocks, the government had to find a workaround to keep the lights from going out during the sweltering summer months. Their solution? Changing work hours instead of the clocks.
In 2023 and 2024, government employees were told to start work at 6:00 AM. Imagine having to be at your desk before the sun has even fully warmed up the city just because the parliament didn't want to move the clock hands. It caused a lot of headaches for parents trying to drop kids off at school or daycares that weren't open yet.
What to Remember if You’re Traveling or Working with Iran
If you're dealing with Iran Standard Time now, you have to be careful with your calendar invites.
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- No DST: Iran stays at UTC +3:30 all year.
- The "Summer Gap": Since the US and Europe do still use DST, the time difference between Tehran and New York or London will change twice a year, even though Iran's clock stays still.
- The Work Week: Remember that the weekend in Iran is Friday. Most offices also close early on Thursday. If you're trying to reach someone on a Friday morning, you’re basically calling them on their Sunday.
Real-world impact on tech
Most modern operating systems (iOS, Android, Windows) have patched this change by now. However, if you are using older legacy software or a specialized GPS device, it might still try to "spring forward" automatically in March.
I’ve seen plenty of people miss meetings because their Outlook calendar was still following the old Iranian law from 2021. If you're setting up an international call, always double-check the "UTC offset" rather than just relying on the city name "Tehran" in some older apps.
Actionable insights for 2026
- Sync manually if needed: If your device doesn't show UTC +3:30 for Tehran, check for a system update or set the time zone manually to avoid the "ghost" DST shift.
- Calculate the 3.5 factor: When converting to GMT, just add 3 hours and 30 minutes. If it's 10:00 AM GMT, it's 1:30 PM in Tehran.
- Check seasonal work hours: If you are doing business with Iranian state agencies, verify their opening times in June and July. They often shift to that "early bird" 6:00 AM schedule to beat the heat and save energy.
Keeping track of time in a world that can't agree on how to measure it is a chore. But once you get used to that extra 30 minutes, it becomes second nature. Just don't expect the sun to wait for you if you're visiting Mashhad in July—it'll be up way before your alarm goes off.
To ensure your global meetings stay on track, you should verify the current UTC offset of your partners' locations before scheduling, as many countries are currently debating following Iran's lead in abolishing seasonal time changes.