Iran produced 3.833 million tons of crude steel in the first three months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-June 21), the Mehr News Agency reported.



The output rose 1.2 percent compared to the same period in the previous year. In the third month of Khordad, the output hit 1.193 million tons, up 1.2 percent year on year.



Iran totally manufactured 17.417 million tons of steel products last year, with 2 percent growth compared with the preceding year, ILNA reported.



Also, crude steel production reached 14.873 million tons, showing 5.7 percent growth year on year.



Iranian Deputy Industry Minister Vajihollah Jafari said last April that the country’s annual crude steel output is projected to reach 55 million tons by 2025.



"The output stood at 12.7 million tons last year,” he said, adding that Iran also had produced some 16 million tons of steel products. Iran will become one of the world’s main steel exporters by March 2016, Industry, Mine and Trade Minister Mehdi Ghazanfari said in May 2011.