Updated

Twelve major Iranian mining and steel producers are exhibiting at Metal-Expo 2026 in St. Petersburg, Press TV reported, in a 550-square-meter national pavilion. The pavilion is organized by IMIDRO, the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization, and runs through November 13, with more than 80 senior managers attending. Exhibitors named include Mobarakeh Steel, Khuzestan Steel, Chadormalu, Gol Gohar and the National Iranian Copper Industries Company, and the show gives them a chance to meet buyers in the Russian metals sector. At the November 11 opening, attended by Russian officials, Tehran's ambassador Kazem Jalali said industries damaged in the recent wars had been repaired and rebuilt, and that the participation showed the dynamism of key industries. Jalali also said Western sanctions against Tehran and Moscow had made closer cooperation more necessary. Press TV added that Iran and Russia are linked by the International North-South Transport Corridor, that Iran's free trade deal with the Eurasian Economic Union has removed tariffs on much of their trade, and that metals are a significant part of Iran's non-oil exports. It also reported that industry officials see logistics, banking and certification as practical obstacles. The report comes from Iranian state media, and the claim about rebuilt industries has not been independently verified.