Ministry vows swift restoration of Mobarakeh Steel, nixes relocation plans
Iran will rebuild the damaged Mobarakeh Steel complex in its original location in Isfahan, a government spokesperson said on Wednesday, dismissing reports that the facility could be relocated to the southern port city of Bandar Abbas.
Ezzatollah Zarei, spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade, told IRNA that reconstruction would proceed swiftly, with planning underway on design, timelines and resource allocation. Once finalized, implementation will begin, he said.
Mobarakeh Steel Company (MSC) and Khuzestan Steel Company in southwestern Khuzestan Province were hit multiple times during the American-Israeli war that began on February 28. MSC is working to restore stable production after parts of its lines were damaged during the hostilities.
Zarei rejected discussions about relocating the complex to Bandar Abbas, saying it would be restored at its previous site in Isfahan.
He said the country’s land-use planning framework is the main basis for the establishment and development of industrial units and parks. All industries and residential developments seeking new establishment — whether public or private — must obtain permits from the secretariat of the national land-use council before beginning operations.
Assessments of water resources, environmental considerations and regional capacity are key criteria in issuing such permits, aimed at balancing industrial development with environmental sustainability, he added.
Industries that are only rebuilding or upgrading existing production lines are not required to obtain new permits and may continue operating at their current locations, he said.
Planning for reconstruction of industrial units damaged in the attacks — including design, scheduling and financing — is underway and will move to execution once finalized, Zarei said. Proper implementation of the land-use plan will ensure development proceeds in a balanced and sustainable manner aligned with environmental and water resource capacities.
Market to rebalance within two months
Separately, Rasoul Khalifeh Soltani, a member of Iran’s steel association, said the domestic steel market — particularly steel sheets — is expected to return to balance within two months, Mehr news agency reported.
“In the short term, we can compensate for the country’s steel needs through imports,” he said, according to the Tehran Chamber of Commerce.
He added that domestic buyers should refrain from purchases for now and wait for the market to return to equilibrium within the next two months.