Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully is preparing to lead a trade mission to Iran amid a thawing of relations between the Islamic republic and the west.
"I'm going to Tehran in a few weeks' time and I'll be taking some commercial leaders with me. That's a specific invitation that's been issued by the Iranian Government," McCully told business leaders this week.
He acknowledged the sensitivity of dealing with Iran, saying New Zealand had to be careful not to "get ahead of the game" with regard to Iranian sanctions.
The lifting of sanctions, which could be early next year in return for restrictions on Iran's nuclear programme, is seen as a major business opportunity for firms worldwide.
The deal follows more than a decade of diplomatic wrangling aimed at keeping Iran from building nuclear weapons.
