Iran: a metals and mining perspective

The normalisation of relations between Iran and 'the West' has the potential to have a not insignificant impact on both the country's demand and supply of metals over the coming years. On the demand side, an economy starved of investment in recent years can now expect growth in foreign direct investment (FDI), which will bolster economic expansion. Meanwhile, on the supply side Iran too has great potential in various areas, given a rich geological endowment. Iran has large reserves of coal, iron ore, copper, lead and zinc and mining is generally open-pit and high grade. In this insight we look across the metals and mining sector and assess the potential impact of Iran once again rejoining the international community.