Hamid Hosseini, an economic activist and spokesperson for the Iranian Oil, Gas & Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Association (OPEX), rejected misinformation and media exaggeration about the condition of the country’s steel and petrochemical industries. He stated that it has been wrongly portrayed as if the entire steel and petrochemical sector was destroyed following enemy attacks.
According to the Fars News Agency, he added that these industries have sufficient reserves to sustain operations until production resumes, and some petrochemical plants are expected to return to operation within about a month.
Hosseini cited the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company as an example, noting that despite attacks on its storage tanks, it did not create public concern.
Referring to the supply of 160,000 tons of steel sheets to the market, he emphasized that there is no need for concern over shortages. He also noted that some steel producers have production capacity of up to 1.5 million tons and can compensate for disruptions. Rolling mills remain unaffected, and rebar production units have not been damaged.
He said that initial reports may have caused public concern about shortages of petrochemical products or long-term shutdowns, but in reality, some of these facilities will resume operations within a month.