An iron-catalyzed procedure was employed to achieve both the Sonogashira cross-coupling and intramolecular o-arylation of o-iodophenols and aryl acetylenes/1-substituted-2-trimethylsilyl acetylenes. A variety of 2-arylbenzo[b]furans were synthesized in moderate to good yields under the catalysis of 5% FeCl3 and 10% 1,10-phenanthroline.