He emphasized that the industry’s self-reliance was pursued diligently under the guidance of Imam Khomeini and Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.

Speaking Wednesday on the sidelines of the 36th anniversary of Imam Khomeini’s passing, Paknejad stressed the oil industry’s firm belief in achieving true self-sufficiency. “Despite facing the harshest Western sanctions, Iranian specialists and youth attained self-sufficiency across various sectors,” he said. “This period showcased the capabilities of our oil industry experts, and today, all development and production activities are managed by skilled Iranian professionals and companies.”

He noted that Imam Khomeini consistently emphasized self-reliance, and the Leader has repeatedly reinforced this principle. “This approach guides our oil industry, and I believe colleagues in other sectors are also following this path with determination,” Paknejad added.

 Oil Ministry’s steps to accelerate development contracts 

Referring to the “Transformation in Investment and Development in Iran’s Upstream Oil and Gas” event—aligned with the Leader’s directives and this year’s slogan, “Investment for Production”—Paknejad said over $130 billion in investment opportunities were presented. These packages allow Iranian and foreign companies to participate in projects under defined contractual frameworks.

He highlighted the importance of public investment, stating, “Our focus is on this sector, and leveraging significant public capital is a priority for the oil industry.” Measures have been devised to streamline investment absorption and public participation.

On contract facilitation, Paknejad said, “The Supreme Leader emphasized last year that contract finalization must be expedited. Fortunately, this guidance proved effective—previously, some contracts took over three years, but with new government and Economic Council approvals, this has been reduced to under nine months. This is a key achievement following the Supreme Leader’s directives, now yielding results.”