A process producing direct reduced iron from iron oxide particles reduced at a temperature of about 750°C or above by means of a reducing gas mainly composed of H 2 and CO, that also includes CO 2, H 2 O and methane, in a direct reduction plant, said process comprising in a reduction reactor, producing a top gas; through a first top gas recycle circuit (26, 46, 12), recycling a first portion of said top gas, comprising in a reduction zone in said reactor, producing the top gas as an effluent from the reduction therein of said iron oxide particles, in a gas cooler/scrubber, separating water from said top gas being fed thereto resulting in a cooled and dewatered top gas and in a catalytic reformer, reforming a mixture of a first hydrocarbon-containing make-up gas stream being fed to said reformer with oxidants present in a first portion of said cooled and dewatered top gas also being fed to the reformer to yield an effluent mainly composed of H 2 and CO at a temperature on the order of 750°C or above; through a second top gas recycle circuit (26, 47, 98, 90/120, 64, 12), recycling a second portion of said top gas, comprising in said reduction zone in the reactor, producing the top gas as an effluent from the reduction therein of said iron oxide particles, in said gas cooler/scrubber, separating water from said top gas being fed thereto resulting in said cooled and dewatered top gas in a carbon dioxide removal unit, stripping at least a portion of the carbon dioxide content of a second portion of said cooled and dewatered top gas gas being fed to said unit and thus producing a CO 2 -lean recycle gas, in a process gas heating device 90/120 for heating CO 2 -lean recycle gas, raising the temperature of said CO 2 -lean recycle gas being fed thereto to yield an effluent at a temperature on the order of 750°C or above, and feeding, as said reducing gas, the effluent from said reformer and the effluent from said heating device into said reduction zone; characterized by feeding a second hydrocarbon-containing make-up gas stream to said second portion of said cooled and dewatered top gas before said second portion of said cooled and dewatered top gas is heated; and regulating the flow rate of the second make-up gas stream so that the carbon content of the DRI produced is regulated within predetermined values in response to the concentration of hydrocarbons in the hot gas effluent from said heating device (90/120). in a reduction zone in said reactor, producing the top gas as an effluent from the reduction therein of said iron oxide particles, in a gas cooler/scrubber, separating water from said top gas being fed thereto resulting in a cooled and dewatered top gas and in a catalytic reformer, reforming a mixture of a first hydrocarbon-containing make-up gas stream being fed to said reformer with oxidants present in a first portion of said cooled and dewatered top gas also being fed to the reformer to yield an effluent mainly composed of H 2 and CO at a temperature on the order of 750°C or above; in said reduction zone in the reactor, producing the top gas as an effluent from the reduction therein of said iron oxide particles, in said gas cooler/scrubber, separating water from said top gas being fed thereto resulting in said cooled and dewatered top gas in a carbon dioxide removal unit, stripping at least a portion of the carbon dioxide content of a second portion of said cooled and dewatered top gas gas being fed to said unit and thus producing a CO 2 -lean recycle gas, in a process gas heating device 90/120 for heating CO 2 -lean recycle gas, raising the temperature of said CO 2 -lean recycle gas being fed thereto to yield an effluent at a temperature on the order of 750°C or above, and feeding, as said reducing gas, the effluent from said reformer and the effluent from said heating device into said reduction zone; feeding a second hydrocarbon-containing make-up gas stream to said second portion of said cooled and dewatered top gas before said second portion of said cooled and dewatered top gas is heated; and regulating the flow rate of the second make-up gas stream so that the carbon content of the DRI produced is regulated within predetermined values in response to the concentration of hydrocarbons in the hot gas effluent from said heating device (90/120).