I appreciate your message on our message board. I am not sure about travailing rule to IRAN for foreigners. As you should know the government of IRAN is getting easier to allow to tourist to travel IRAN. If you are living in the US, the best place to get information is contacting Interests section of Islamic Republic of IRAN that located (Pakistan embassy in Washington D.C), Their URL address:

http://www.daftar.org/default_eng.htm

Try to call them and ask the same question. It takes you half an hour dialing to talk to somebody.
If you are going to IRAN to buy rug make sure to go to Museum of Farsh (means Rug in Farsi [Official language in IRAN])

http://www.oldcarpet.com/tehran_carpet_museum.htm

Another important place to buy a rug is Bazaar( Main Market). If you do need help in IRAN Saeed will be able to help you. This is address of our office in IRAN:

PERSIA CARPET GALLERY
3-2 Floor, Saraye Caddr
Bazaar Farsh, Tehran, IRAN 16517
Tel: (011) 98-21-2090398

If you are looking to buy a rug in the US, prices are very competitive with current price in IRAN. The currency conversion between the US dollar and IRAN Rial has been the same rate for the last 5 years. Unfortunately, the rate of inflation in IRAN was around 300% for the same time. You can find very good quality Persian rug in the US with reasonable price and some cases maybe cheaper with to day’s price of rug in IRAN.

 If you decided to buy any thing in IRAN do not buy in your first day and in the first shop.
 Negotiate, Negotiate, and Negotiate.
 If you are going to purchase a rug with credit card (They accept visa and MasterCard). Just make sure they do not charge you some junk transaction fee on the top of price of your rug! Cash as usual is the KING! You do have power when you take about cash!
 The fancier the rugs store the higher the price!
 Make sure you find an honest dealer!

Please feel free to contact me if you have any question or suggestion.