In fairness to the EP station....registered mail from the US to Iran would
be $14 + 1 IRC (if you can find a post office that knows what to do with an
IRC).
The Irainian postal service website lists the registered airmail rate to
the US starting at 209000 IRR, which according to xe.com is running about
$17, presumably at an official or quasi-official exchange rate. (I imagine
that if one were to use a less official exchange, the rate would be worse.)
The Iranian postage rates were shown as effective for the Islamic year
1391, which just ended, so I wouldn't be surprised if new rates are in
force, and haven't yet been translated to English online. I'm not sure
how the Iranian post office redeems IRC's, but I do note that their rates
group different destinations into different rate tiers, and I could believe
that an IRC only gets you to the cheapest tier of postage.
So while it's a lot of money for a card, the amount he's requesting seems
somewhat plausible to me.
If he's on during CQWW (<-- obligatory contest content), and if I am lucky
enough to get him, I'll pay the postage. I still need Iran confirmed, and
thanks to ITAR I doubt anyone there will be on LOTW anytime soon.
--
*Michael D. Adams* (N1EN)
Poquonock, Connecticut | mda@n1en.org
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