There does not currently exist a (pretty, without huge advices) way to create a custom link type, with a special export function, that would be handled as an image on LaTeX exports.

By contrast, in HTML exports is possible by adding your custom link to `org-html-inline-image-rules` - but in LaTeX, a link must either be custom or image, and the figure-wrapping function `org-latex--inline-image` doesn't handle custom links; its not possible without modifying these functions

Is this the intended behavior? If so, why?

I'll be happy to implement exporting custom image links myself, given time, if that's the issue.

- If it was not clear, in "custom links" I'm referring to links defined with `org-link-set-parameters` that have a special export behavior.