EghtesadOnline: Iran didn’t need to take a cue from Saudi Arabia’s success with its Alcoa joint venture Ma’aden Aluminum smelter and downstream operations, as just about every Middle Eastern natural-gas producer with production to spare has invested in aluminum smelting as an easy win outlet for vast natural gas reserves.

EghtesadOnline: Iran plans to add 336,000 tons of primary aluminum smelting capacity in 2018, the planning manager of state-owned mining holding company IMIDRO, Amir Sabagh, told S&P Global Platts.