SALVADOR, Brazil, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Brazilian miner Vale VALE3.SA is confident it will regain this year the position of the world's largest iron ore producer, CEO Gustavo Pimenta said on Tuesday, a title it had lost to Rio Tinto RIO.AX in recent years.
"We are likely at our best in terms of operational performance right now," Pimenta said during a mining conference in Salvador.
(Reporting by Marta Nogueira; Writing by Isabel Teles; Editing by Gabriel Araujo)
((Isabel.Teles@thomsonreuters.com;))