At the recent meeting of the Board of Directors of the Iranian Steel Producers Association, Mr. Jahandar Shokri, a board member of the association and CEO of Bisotoun Steel, openly criticized the severe energy supply crisis affecting Iran’s steel industry.
According to Chilan, the specialized media outlet for Iran’s steel industry, Mr. Shokri emphasized that steel is one of the country’s leading and strategic industries, stating:
“The steel industry is currently being paralyzed due to insufficient energy allocation. The slogan of supporting production and investment has remained merely rhetorical and has not been implemented in practice.”
He added:
“Private sector factories are now shutting down one after another. These shutdowns not only harm production but also lead to widespread social and economic consequences, including labor crises. This trend is a blatant betrayal of the country’s productive capacities.”
Mr. Shokri warned that if this trajectory continues, past investments will be wasted, and domestic production will effectively come to a halt. He sharply but realistically remarked:
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“In the near future, we may no longer have an Association of Steel Producers, but rather an Association of Steel Importers of Iran.
These statements come at a time when, since the beginning of the year, unprecedented restrictions have been imposed on the supply of electricity and gas to major industries, including steel, casting serious doubt on the future of national production.
