Iran is complex. The shah is a distant memory to its young people, who currently view their own government as a much bigger enemy than the U.S.

Your premise is right on - if there is that much lithium there Iran will be a target, but it will be a target of every country that needs lithium. Currently that is the west, Japan, and China.

I'm not sure, though, that the Iranian theocratic dictatorship needs American (or, more likely, by proxy, Israeli) help to be removed. The original revolution in Iran was a true people's revolution. The current government is most certainly not a people's government.

Iranians also have a much warmer feeling toward America than you might think. So it's a pure guessing game as to what might happen.

With a crazed government in Israel, I can envision some worst case scenarios. The only thing stopping Israel from launching a preemptive strike against their nuclear program is, ironically, the women-led protests. An attack would destroy that movement.

Iran is a culturally and intellectually rich nation. I think they will overcome the various pressures.