Domestic car prices in Iran have mostly risen 40% to 80% since the start of the war in February, with some vehicles selling for over 130% of their September 2025 costs. This makes even locally made cars unaffordable for many, as a Peugeot 207 now costs the equivalent of 20 months' salary for a marketing specialist earning four-and-a-half times the minimum wage. Iranian parliament member Mohammad Rashidi stated on Saturday that the industry resembles a "mafia system," a sentiment echoed by other officials and state media. The crisis is attributed to protected state-linked businesses, economic isolation, import curtailment, and industry corruption, exacerbated by the war and sanctions.