Foolad va tosee: Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade said: We have 10,000 mines in the country, but in terms of reserves and capacity 28 percent of this number is inactive, mainly mines of  building  materials and construction stones.

Copper fell to the lowest level in 17 months, with metals extending losses as global recession fears continue to damp the demand outlook for commodities.

 Foolad & tosee : The President expressed that the completion of the rings of the mineral value chain is one of the important development plans of the government. According to our correspondent, Hojjatoleslam Seyed Ebrahim Raeesi, at a government delegation meeting, said: We have made serious plans to complete the rings of the mineral value chain.

Guinea's mines minister has ordered all work related to the Simandou iron-ore mine project halted after the two companies involved missed an extended deadline to agree on a joint venture, a letter seen by Reuters showed on Monday.

The Iranian Steel Producers Association published the country's apparent steel consumption statistics in the first two months of this year.