Azerbaijan, Baku, Sep.30/ Trend F.Karimov/
Iran's proven mineral reserves amount to 43 billion tons, IRIB quoted Asadollah Keshavarz, an official with the Iranian ministry of industry, mines, and trade, as saying.
Some 370 million tons of minerals were extracted in the past Iranian calendar year which ended March 20, he added.
Mining operations have been carried out over seven per cent of the country's area he said adding that 10 trillion rials, about $400 million, has been allocated to the mining sector.
Iran holds three per cent of the world's mineral reserves putting the country first 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 country has the world's largest zinc and second largest copper deposits and ranks ninth for its iron reserves.
Iran has about 68 kinds of minerals and 20 other types of minerals have been identified through recent explorations.
Iran's mineral produce include coal, metallic elements, sand and gravel, chemical minerals and salt.