Azerbaijan, Baku, July 20/ Trend R.Zamanov/
Iran produced 39,400 tons of lead and zinc during the first three months of the current Iranian calendar year, which began on March 21, showing 8.4 percent rise compared to the same period last year.
Zinc ingot production accounted for 35,000 tons of the mentioned amount, the IRNA News Agency reported.
The total output of zinc and lead amounted to 14,200 tons in the third calendar month, which is 10.7 per cent more than previous year.
Deputy Head of Iran's Geology and Mineral Exploration Organization Behrouz Borna said in August 2012 that Iran holds three percent of the world's mineral reserves, which puts the country in the first place in the Middle East and third in Asia.
Iran is ranked among the 15 major mineral-rich countries of the world and exports its industrial and mineral products to 159 countries, including Iraq, China, the United Arab Emirates, India and Afghanistan.
The important mines of Iran include coal, metallic minerals, sand and gravel, chemical minerals and salt. Iran has the world's largest zinc and second largest copper deposits and ranks ninth for its iron reserves.