Iran’s subsurface mineral resources. A strategic foundation for sustainable development and a prosperous future

Professor Seyed Ziaeddin Shafaei Tankabani, esteemed faculty member of the Mining Engineering Department at the University of Tehran, and Director of the UNIDRO Institute.

Iran is a country abundant in a wide variety of mineral resources. These subterranean assets constitute invaluable capital that plays a fundamental role in the country’s economy and industrial growth. Processing engineers are essential contributors in this domain, serving as a crucial link between raw mineral materials and high-value final products, thereby facilitating efficient extraction and sustainable development of the mining industry

To emphasize the critical role and significance of Iran’s mines, two key aspects stand out: job creation and the generation of export revenues along with foreign exchange earnings.

Professor Seyed Ziaeddin, a distinguished expert in the field of advanced hydrometallurgy, waste management, and effluent treatment, remarked:

"Iran is endowed with numerous mineral deposits; for example, the natural copper concentration is approximately 0.5%. Processing engineers possess the expertise to convert these raw natural materials into industrially viable and consumer-ready products. This transformation embodies the sophisticated art of mineral processing."

He further emphasized that although mining holds the second most significant position in Iran, oil remains the foremost priority. Professor Seyed Ziaeddin Shafaei Tankabani proposed that with strategic planning and efficient management in the mining sector, unemployment could be effectively eradicate.