Abdolreza Abed said Monday at a news conference that contrary to some perceptions, the headquarters has never replaced the private sector. “We take pride today in cooperating with the private sector,” he said, noting that more than 5,000 second-tier contractors work directly with the organization, collectively creating jobs for about 150,000 people.

Abed said most oil, gas and energy projects nationwide are carried out with the participation of domestic contractors. He added that these partnerships have not created gaps in project execution but have accelerated delivery and strengthened the country’s critical infrastructure.

Highlighting the strategic importance of energy, Abed said adversaries have long sought to use the energy sector as a pressure point against the Islamic Republic of Iran. “By relying on domestic capabilities and localizing technologies, we have achieved self-sufficiency in oil and gas from upstream to downstream,” he said.

Refining Projects Built on Domestic Capacity

Abed cited the Persian Gulf Star Refinery as one of the country’s most important strategic projects, saying it was completed with broad participation and support from the government and the Ministry of Petroleum. He said the refinery now produces about 50% of the nation’s gasoline, freeing the country from dependence in that sector.

He added that with proper demand management and public awareness, Iran could fully eliminate gasoline imports. In that context, he said, new refining projects are also on the agenda. “The main objective is to safeguard national interests and maximize the use of the country’s energy capacity by relying on domestic capabilities and close cooperation with the Ministry of Oil,” he said.

Abed said the headquarters avoids launching projects without secured financing that could drag on for years. “Accordingly, projects are moved into execution only after funding and agreements are finalized,” he said.