Iran Bans License Plates for U.S.-Sourced Cars

Iran’s police force has stopped issuing license plates for vehicle imported from the U.S., including German and Japanese brands produced there.

The ban covers vehicles that have already been imported and sold in the country, The Japan Times reports. The police policy stems from an order a year ago by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to stop importing U.S. products. The initial list of 119 targeted goods didn’t include vehicles, an omission Khamenei criticized in April.

The executive director of the Iranian Car Importers Union complains that the police are acting on an interpretation of Khamenei’s remarks that lacks legal merit. The trade group estimates there are about 500 foreign-brand vehicles in Iran that were made in the U.S. and imported legally under government rules.

Iran appears intent on blocking any sale of U.S.-brand cars. But one analyst tells the Times that the country’s Parliament should clarify the country's policy about non-American brand vehicles sourced from the U.S.