Competition Council Deems Ministry's 15% Car Price Hike Insufficient; Refers Case to Oversight Bodies (Wednesday, July 8, 2026)

Iran's Competition Council referred the car pricing case to oversight bodies on Wednesday, July eighth. A fifteen percent car price increase fell short of the Support Organization's own figure. The Ministry approved fifteen percent, while the Support Organization had calculated near twenty five percent. The dispute traces back to June seventeenth, when Iran Khodro raised prices by up to fifty percent. At session seven hundred fifty eight, the Council laid out three competing numbers. This is the second dispute in a month between these two bodies over car pricing. Under Directive five forty three, prices must follow cost plus a reasonable profit margin. The Council called the unilateral cut a deviation and referred the case upward. Car purchase inflation reached one hundred twenty four percent in Khordad. Cars are a major household expense, and the factory to market gap remains wide. The Council's spokesperson said the Ministry set a rate below the calculated figure. From June seventeenth to July eighth, the dispute advanced step by step to referral. Follow up could run through parliament, the judiciary, or the coordination council. Watch for the Ministry's response and the car inflation reading due in early August. Read the full analysis on Sahmino.