The hosts took the lead when their Bosnian midfielder Mladen Bartolovic netted the ball in the 55th minute at the Takhti Stadium in the city of Ahvaz on Thursday evening.
The Blues, coached by Samad Marfavi, pushed forward and Seyyed Salehi made it 1-1 with a header in the 94th minute of the game.
“Esteqlal played better after conceding the second half goal,” Marfavi said.
“It makes me happy when our players try their best to score until the last moment of the game,” he added. “I praise them all for their great performance.”
Esteqlal players were also praised by Foulad's coach Majid Jalali.
“Esteqlal players played bravely against our team today,” Jalali said. “Our players should use their thoughts and concentration to avoid giving opportunities to their rivals.”
The result kept Esteqlal fourth in the Iranian Premier League (IPL) with 31 points after 20 games. Sepahan currently tops the standings on 40 points followed by Zob Ahan on 37. Peykan sits third with 32 points.