Restricted Areas in Iran

[ontour]

Cycling through Iran we were once stopped by the police because we had entered an area that is restricted for foreigners. There were no signs on the road telling us that we are not allowed to enter. In the beginning the policemen were very angry, they told us we have to come with them. After some translation via mobilephone they calmed down and understood our situation. Anyway we had to come to the policestation, they copied our passports and we had to leave the area with a policecar escorting us. They told us, from time to time they stop foreigners.

We did not find any information about such areas online. There's no possibility to show it on openstreetmap (the area is not completely restricted, only for foreigners). So we wrote a note on openstreetmap and we added the information to iOverlander.

It might be interesting to collect information about such areas here. We will start with the following post.

[ontour]

Khondab Nuclear Facility

geo:34.36481,49.231277?z=17

The area around the nuclear research facility is restricted for foreigners. There were no signs telling this. You are not allowed to pass the road between Khondab and Javersiyan. The restricted area is at least 15 km around the facility, maybe even bigger.
Coming from north heading towards Arak we had to take the route via Saruq.

[Koen]

Natanz Nuclear facilities.

PPFG+QM Deh Zireh, Isfahan Province, Iran

the small road 665, is allowed i cycled pass it, only not allowed to stop for 15 km, you will see multiple surface to air gunnaries.

[duffajfka]

Good to hear that about the Natanz facility, I have almost been left at the very place when hitchhiking to Abyaneh during the turbulent time 1 year ago. Luckily, I have seen in the map that the area looked military-intense so asked the driver to drop me only at the next highway exit. Thank you for the confirmation!

[Hound_Dog]

Anyone who has ever been in Iran will know just how paranoid the security services are there. If you are in Natanz you are being monitored as you will be in any of the other sensitive sites in Iran. Unfortunately it is very hard to know where many of these places are as evidenced by numerous reports of foreigners being detained particularly while wild camping etc. I had the misfortune of breaking down near a military base and even the locals were scared of hanging around for too long.

[Koen]

Yes couple locations are very unknown, other one is on Ioverland, it's near Arak at Knondab city.
Foreigners are not allowed to come within 10 km, but there are no sign's.