Mehdi Fakour said in a Tuesday meeting with reporters that during the past year, actions have been taken in the exploration of oil and gas, saying: “According to the studies of international organizations, in the future, the three countries of Iran, Russia and Iraq have the most explorations, and other countries in the region will finish their explorations, which will have high ranks both in terms of attracting foreign capital and the continuation of oil and gas production.”

Pointing to Iran's position in the region with regard to the sedimentary basins in the south of Zagros, he added that the amount of hydrocarbons they have considered for Iran is equivalent to 16 billion barrels, which is important from the perspective of the country's progress and attracting foreign capital.

The Director of Exploration of National Iranian Oil Company pointed out that every country that is blessed with energy has a more prosperous economy, and stated: “Foreign investors should know that Iran will have the first say in oil and gas and they should enter the Iranian market in order to make profits.”