Speaking to IRNA on Tuesday, Ebrahim Ali Molabeigi stated that the minerals discovered in various regions of the country include iron ore, lead and zinc, gold, copper, antimony and coal.
He noted that more than $1.580 billion tons of proven reserves of minerals have been discovered in the country and approved by the relevant commission.
Molabeigi further pointed out that about 100 million tons of iron ore concentrate were discovered in the country in 2022, adding that about 79 million tons of gold concentrate and about 1.32 billion tons of copper concentrate were also discovered in the country last year.
He put the value of gold reserves discovered last year in the country at more than $355 million.
The new mineral reserves were discovered in the provinces of Sistan and Balouchestan, Kerman, Kordestan, Khorasan Razavi, South Khorasan, Yazd, Isfahan, Markazi, East Azarbaijan and Semnan, he added.