In the weeks after the July 5 election of Reformist Masoud Pezeshkian as Iran’s president, the outgoing conservative cabinet decreed a law to liberalize imports of second hand cars—provided that such vehicles are not older than five years and meet specific quality standards. The July 17 law was celebrated as an achievement not just by then-acting president Mohammad Mokhber but also Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, being presented as the last step in the long process of “defeating the monopoly structures” in the automotive industry. 

But is this a fair reflection of market realities and will it help Iran’s economy and people's livelihoods? Already, some market insiders opine that...