Under sanctions, Iran's oil, gas, and petrochemical industry depends on foreign licensors, a dependence that has perpetuated raw-material exports. This study examines how actors deal with the acquisition of technical know-how for key licenses and derives implications for designing a national mission to complete the value chain. A qualitative grounded theory design following Strauss and Corbin's systematic approach was used. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with fourteen experts with both executive-governmental and technical-engineering experience, selected through purposive and theoretical sampling. The data were analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding. The core category, "fragmented and incomplete acquisition of technical know-how for key licenses," reflects a gap between license development and the construction of industrial plants. Raw-material exports, licensors' non-cooperation due to sanctions, large financing needs, and the absence of strategic planning constitute its causal conditions. In the absence of a shared direction, actors' responses have been fragmented and at times duplicative, sustaining technological dependence. Accordingly, the study proposes that the national mission be governed by the Supreme Council of Science, Research and Technology and implemented by a consortium in which universities play a pivotal role alongside specialized industrial research institutes, engineering firms, and knowledge-based companies. Further proposals include a comprehensive spatial planning document, a focus on priority licenses, led by petro-refining for the combined production of gasoline and propylene, a multi-layer financing model, and public accountability mechanisms.