Taliban are now in the hands of minerals worth $1 trillion, which the world urgently needs

Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world. But in 2010, American military officials and geologists discovered that the country, located at the crossroads of Central and South Asia, had mineral deposits worth nearly $1 trillion, which could dramatically transform its economic prospects.

Mines such as iron, copper, and gold are scattered throughout the provinces.

There are also rare land minerals and, perhaps most important, what may be one of the world's largest lithium deposits a substantial but low component of batteries and other vital technologies for dealing with climate crisis.

Security challenges, lack of infrastructure and severe drought have prevented the extraction of the most valuable minerals in the past.

This is unlikely to change soon under Taliban control.

However, there is interest in countries including China, Pakistan, and India, which may try to get involved despite chaos.