Sixth Session of the Economic Lecture Series Held: "Resistance Economy in the Light of National Unity and National Security"
The sixth session of this lecture series, entitled "Challenges and Opportunities Facing the Mineral Industries of Khorasan Razavi Province: Current Situation and Post-War Horizon," was held on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at the Institute for Islamic Studies in Humanities (IISH), in both on-site and on-line formats. The session featured a presentation by Mr. Amir-Ali Vatandoost.
At the outset of the session, Mr. Vatandoost outlined the main problems facing the country's mineral industries, citing issues such as "a flawed budget-oriented approach," "weaknesses in science and technology," "rent-driven ownership structure," and "machinery."
Each of these major problems was then examined in relation to the mineral industries of Khorasan Razavi Province. For example, it was noted that the Khaf mine, despite supplying 30 percent of the iron ore required by Iran's steel industry, does not return provincial rights to Khorasan Razavi.
In another part of the session, the province's advantages, such as "security" and "proximity to Afghanistan," were discussed. The extraction and processing of Afghanistan's mineral resources were identified as one of the province's key opportunities.
"Portable processing," "establishment of a mining innovation center," "mineral diplomacy with a focus on Afghanistan," and "utilization of venture capital funds and crowdfunding" were among the proposals Mr. Vatandoost put forward at the conclusion of the session.
