Azerbaijan, Baku, Sep.3/ Trend F.Milad/
Iran has produced over 6.25 million tons of crude steel in the first five months of this Iranian year, which began on March 20, the Mehr news agency reported on Monday.
Some 7.2 million tons of steel products were also manufactured in the five-month period, almost equal to the previous year's total output, according to the report.
Deputy Industry Minister Vajihollah Jafari said on April 9 that the country's annual crude steel output is projected to reach 55 million tons by 2025.
Iran will become one of the world's main steel exporters by March 2016, Industry, Mine and Trade Minister Mehdi Ghazanfari said in May 2011.
Iran will be a self-sufficient steel producer in the next three years, the vice chairman of the Association of Iranian Steel Producers Hamidreza Taherizadeh said on July 31.
He added that despite global economic sanctions, the country's steel output increased by 5 million tons during the past two years, reaching 17 million tons.
