Outward industrial investment, meaning the transfer of productive capital, technology, and human resources abroad, is a phenomenon that can have widespread economic, social, and security consequences for the country of origin. In recent years, the expansion of this type of investment in Iran, especially in the context of economic sanctions and unstable domestic policies, has led to capital outflows and weakening the foundations of national production. The main issue of this research is to examine what place the criminalization of outward industrial investment has in Iran's criminal policy and to what extent it can be effective as a tool for controlling and preventing the outflow of industrial capital. The purpose of this research is to analyze the theoretical and legal foundations of criminalization in the field of outward investment and to explain its function within the framework of Iran's criminal policy. The research method is descriptive-analytical and based on library study and documentary analysis of laws, regulations, and judicial procedures. The findings show that in Iran's criminal policy, criminalization in this area lacks coherence and clear definition; while in some legal systems, the outflow of industrial capital in an unauthorized manner or contrary to national interests is considered an economic offense or crime. The innovative aspect of the research is that for the first time, it analyzes the concept of "external industrial investment" as a criminal policy challenge and raises the need to redefine it in the form of an economic crime. The research results indicate that without designing a balanced criminal policy - based on a combination of criminal and non-criminal measures - mere criminalization not only does not prevent the outflow of industrial capital, but may also reduce the confidence of domestic investors.