TEHRAN (Tasnim) � Iran has produced over 4 million tons of steel in the first three months of 2015, indicating a growth of 9% compared with the same period last year.

According to the latest report released by the World Steel Association, Iran's steel production was 1.366 million tons in January, 1.409 million tons in February, and 1.315 million tons in March, amounting to 4.090 million tons in the first three months of 2015.
In the same period last year, Iran had produced 3.73 million tons of steel, and despite the cruel economic sanctions against the country, the figure has jumped by 9% this year.
The volume of crude steel produced in Iran in the first 11 months of the last Iranian calendar year (March 2014 to February 2015) had also witnessed a growth of 8 percent.
Earlier in February, a master plan devised by the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) was released, showing that the country is planning to raise its capacity to produce steel by 11.6 million tons with the collaboration of a number of domestic and foreign companies.
Iran is the biggest steel producer in the Middle East and North Africa. The country's main steel production facilities are located in Isfahan and Khuzestan provinces.

By Tasnim News Agency