So when perusers of the corporate website for the real McDonald’s noticed recently that an international franchise application for Iran had been posted, it created quite a buzz here. Some politicians were quick to warn that there would be no McDonald’s in Iran.

In a statement on its website, apparently meant to calm but not kill the speculation, McDonald’s said, “We have not set a firm date for the development of McDonald’s restaurants in Iran,” while also inviting any Iranians interested in a franchise opportunity to complete the application.

Gholamali Haddad Adel, an influential lawmaker, said he was dismayed when looking at the front pages of some Iranian newspapers, seeing their giddy accounts of foreign businesses expected to come to Iran.

“Where is the news of the oppressed people of Yemen? They speak of the return of McDonald’s,” he said in an interview on Khabaronline, a conservative website. “Here lies a danger. They are opening their arms wide for the United States and zealously talk about its companies.”

Iran is not exactly uncharted territory for McDonald’s, which had outlets here before the 1979 revolution.

In 1994, a brave Iranian entrepreneur sought to open an official franchise of the hamburger giant in Tehran, exciting many citizens but also drawing the attention of hard-liners. After two days, the restaurant site was burned down, and the judiciary overruled the Health Ministry decision that had allowed the restaurant to open.