Iran Accelerates Janja Copper Mining Project to Boost Economic Growth in Sistan Region
Iran is pushing to speed up the development of the massive Janja copper and gold mining project in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan, aiming to harness the project's economic benefits to uplift the impoverished region near the Afghan border.
On his first official visit, newly-appointed industries minister Mohammad Atabak toured the Janja project in Nimrooz county, emphasizing the need for rapid completion. He highlighted the project’s potential to significantly improve the local economy, particularly through job creation.
Atabak pledged additional government funding to support developers and contractors who expedite the project, stressing that the Janja mine could help the province catch up with Iran’s broader development programs. He also noted that some of the nation’s top copper experts are involved in the project, which could greatly impact the region’s economic landscape.
The Janja mine, located 210 kilometers north of the provincial capital Zahedan, currently has a proven reserve of 312 million metric tons (mt), with expectations that further exploration could push this figure beyond 1 billion mt. A consortium of four major Iranian metals companies has invested $400 million in the project, which is projected to produce 130,000 mt of copper concentrate and 3,000 mt of copper cathode in its first year of production, set for 2028.
Government estimates suggest the project will create 1,000 direct jobs, with an additional 5,000 indirect jobs linked to the mine’s broader supply chain.
