Israeli geopolitics expert Anat Hochberg Marom told Israeli Maariv newspaper on Saturday that "Israel" will closely monitor how Tehran will try to use this discovery to its advantage.
The newspaper noted that Iran was strengthening its strategic relations with Russia and China, along with its close ties with Indonesia, the largest country in the Muslim world.
It is expected that Iran's economic position and geopolitical influence will grow even greater soon, especially in light of the discovery of a massive lithium field containing 8.5 million tons of the precious mineral, making it the second-largest in the world after Chile. It is located in the Hamedan province in western Iran.
Thus, this discovery is not only significant because it holds 10% of the world's "white gold" reserves, currently estimated at around 89 million tons, but also because it has the potential to buff the Iranian economy and seemingly nullify the effectiveness of the imposed sanctions. It is considered a "winning trump card" for the Islamic Republic.
According to the expert, this discovery could have a significant impact on global energy and mining markets, as well as the global battery and electric vehicle industries. It is expected that all of this will lead to long-term changes in the global economy and politics, shifting the balance of power once again to the Middle East.