Financial Tribune - The steel export trade from Iran has been hurt by neighboring countries closing their borders due to the appearance of coronavirus infection in the Middle Eastern country, Fastmarkets learnt on Feb. 28.

Most of the states neighboring the Islamic Republic, including Iraq, Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Armenia, closed their land borders with Iran this week amid growing regional concerns about the spread of the infection.

Other countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Georgia, have also imposed travel and immigration restrictions.

Iran�s remaining land-border neighbors, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, were reported to be intensifying border checks to combat the spread of the coronavirus.