In a Tehran shopping mall, owners of mobile phones and tablets say they had received the message via email late Wednesday. Retailers say they had no power over the decision.
“We have heard about it, but we are only responsible for hardware here, not software and apps,” said shopkeeper Bijan Ashtiani.
In the message Samsung said it cannot provide access to the store in Iran because of “legal barriers.”
Many Iranians see the move as part of international sanctions on the country over its disputed nuclear program. Samsung’s office in Iran was closed for the weekend and could not be immediately reached.