Imports of luxury vehicles into Iran, including through a special scheme for Iranians living abroad, have been suspended by presidential order. Seyyed Mohammad Atabak, Iran’s Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade, told a meeting of Parliament’s Article 90 Commission that the government would now focus on supplying affordable vehicles.

Atabak said the ministry had objected in Parliament around two weeks ago to the 100 per cent tariff on luxury vehicle imports. He added that fewer than 1,000 used vehicles had so far been imported and were currently being held at customs facilities.

Some Iranian media outlets have identified models such as the BMW 7 Series, Toyota Land Cruiser 300 and Prado as vehicles affected by the decision. However, no official criteria for classifying a vehicle as “luxury”, value ceiling or definitive list of affected models has yet been announced.

Critics of such imports cited the vehicles’ high prices, substantial foreign currency outflows and increased demand in the foreign exchange market as key concerns. The import scheme for Iranians living abroad had also created an informal market for buying and selling residence cards and other documents required to access the quota.