Elsewhere in his remarks, Kazemi said Italian company, Eni, is to be active in Iran's Pars Refinery as more major refining companies are willing to be present in Iran.

He hoped Iran's refining sector will undergo major upgrades in the near future.

He said after the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), South Korean, Japanese and Italian companies have voiced readiness to undertake Iranian refining projects and Iran is busy signing contracts with the world's major companies.

He went on to refer to three major projects, including the 150,000 barrel Anahita refinery, Pars Shiraz gas condensate project and Siraf project, and said they are getting implemented by private sector capital.

He said over the past 160 days, 12 million liters of gasoline were imported and they are reserved in inventories and pipelines.

"The rise in gasoline imports does not mean upward growth of consumption, rather it means the reserves are in a favorable level. Today, Iranian gasoline inventory capacity has risen by 700 million liters."

He hoped that gasoline imports will be between six and seven million liters a day.

He said the distillation section of Persian Gulf Star Refinery will be semi-operational by end of the first half of this year and fully operational by the fall season.