Iran, Mideastˈs First Steel Producer

Tehran, April 27, IRNA – Iran has ranked first in the Middle East region for steel production, said a senior official at Iranˈs Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) on Saturday. Speaking to IRNA, IMIDROˈs Director Mohammad Khandadashpour said Iran enjoys some 2.5 billion tons of iron ore. He said according to a report by the World Steel Association, Iran was the worldˈs 15th steel producer in 2012, while in 2011, the country had stood at the 17th place. IMIDRO is a major state-owned holding company active in the mining sector in Iran with eight major companies and 55 operational subsidiaries active in steel, aluminum, copper, cement and mineral exploitation fields./end