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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nShe mentioned Turkey as one of Iran\u2019s competitors in this sector and stated: \u201cCurrently, one of Iran\u2019s serious competitors is Turkey. Unfortunately, due to flawed upstream policies and strategies, poor decision-making, lack of long-term planning and the absence of an industrial strategic plan, and the government\u2019s incomplete support for the private sector over the past one to two decades, Iran has ceded part of its foreign market to Turkey. According to the Secretary of the Iran Stone Association, in the mining sector, there are many supportive needs, especially the necessity to facilitate government duties and return resources to the areas defined by law. A major portion of these resources should be returned to the regions where the mines are located so that they can be used for regional infrastructure and social development, making the impact of mining visible and tangible in local communities. Currently, operators bear the cost of extraction, but unfortunately, the benefits are not yet seen in the lives of local communities. One of Iran\u2019s serious competitors is Turkey, which, due to flawed upstream policies, poor decision-making, lack of long-term planning, and the absence of a strategic industrial plan and complete government support for the private sector, has taken over part of Iran\u2019s foreign market in the past one to two decades.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yazdani emphasized: \u201cAccording to the law, mineral resources are not defined as a source of government income. A portion of the revenue should go to the Mining Engineering Organization to be used for technical training and development, and another part should be allocated to finance environmental initiatives in mining regions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She added: \u201cIn the processing and production sector, despite the urgent need to modernize equipment, the government has not yet facilitated the import of mining and stone processing machinery, and import restrictions on these machines remain in place. As a result, mines cannot achieve optimal productivity without access to modern tools and technologies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She further stated: \u201cUnfortunately, today the operational age of machinery in stone mines exceeds 30 years, making them highly worn out. Operators who wish to import industrial machinery with their own funds face numerous challenges and cumbersome regulations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Secretary of the Iran Stone Association also noted: \u201cAnother challenge in the industrial equipment sector is that some mines are located in very remote and hard-to-reach areas, making the repair and maintenance of machinery during technical failures extremely difficult. This issue also exists in processing equipment. In advanced countries, the amount of stone slurry produced during stone processing is close to zero, while in Iran, around 30 percent of processed stone turns into slurry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is raw stone export a reality in Iran?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yazdani addressed the issue of raw stone export, saying: \u201cThe claim that stone producers have turned to exporting raw stone is not accurate. Export statistics show that even with existing obstacles and equipment wear, the amount of cut stone exported is double the amount of block stone produced. In other words, in 1403 (2024-2025), the volume of exported cut stone was twice that of block stone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She added: \u201cMoreover, over 50 percent of the stone production process occurs along the path from the mine to the processing plant. Therefore, the notion of raw stone does not exist. Under the best conditions, from each ton of stone, 8 to 10 meters of cut stone are extracted. In advanced countries, up to 13 meters of cut stone per ton of raw stone is achieved, so claims that other countries produce 20 meters of cut stone per ton or that Iran engages in raw stone export are not true.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Secretary of the Iran Stone Association concluded: \u201cOn the other hand, market preferences and the requirements of project owners also influence how stone is produced. Design methods and anticipated models in projects all impact the stone production market.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yazdani further explained the largest export destinations for Iranian stone: \u201cToday, China is the largest export market for Iranian stone, followed by Italy as another important destination. However, the claim that Iranian stone is exported to China in raw form and then returns to Iran after being cut is completely incorrect. According to the law, the import of cut (processed) decorative stone through customs is prohibited, and no processed stone is imported into the country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She emphasized: \u201cSome rumors suggest that Iranian stone is cut on Chinese ships and then re-imported as processed stone. This is entirely false and contrary to reality, because the import of any processed stone into the country is prohibited, and in fact, stone processing on a ship is impossible. Placing cutting machines on a moving and unstable surface causes the slightest vibration during cutting or sawing, which would ultimately ruin the entire stone block.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Secretary of the Iran Stone Association concluded: \u201cThe processing and cutting of stone must occur in a completely stable environment, without even the slightest (even one millimeter) movement. Therefore, the claim that Iranian stone is processed on Chinese ships and then re-imported to the country is entirely false.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dr. Ziba Yazdani, Secretary of the Iran Stone Association, has discussed the state of Iran\u2019s stone industry in several interviews with reputable national media, including ISNA. In these conversations, she examined the country\u2019s mineral capacities, the challenges in production and processing, and competition with neighboring countries such as Turkey, while analyzing the role of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":2304,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2211","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-1"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/zibayazdani.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/57673343.jpg\")
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