A fuzzy holistic framework for strategic assessment of mineral hubs in the energy section: A case study of antimony in Iran

• A novel fuzzy holistic framework is developed to assess strategic mineral hubs. • Iran's antimony potential evaluated for energy transition-critical supply. • Multi-criteria model integrates geological, economic, and ESG factors. • Identifies competitive advantages and gaps for sustainable mineral development. • Modular method supports global low-carbon supply chain decisions. Comprehensive examination of key mineral resources is crucial for emerging clean technologies navigating the global energy transition. This novel fuzzy framework holistically identifies and assesses potential mineral hubs focusing on cobalt, graphite, antimony, and nickel critical to that transition. Developing a multidimensional methodology, the research introduces innovative parameters across economic, geological, social, and strategic dimensions through a fuzzy inference system evaluating mineral hub potential. The research explores Iran's mineral potentials, analyzing national and global market dynamics. A unique analytical approach evaluates regional hub characteristics, specifically concentrating on Sistan and Baluchestan's (Zahedan) antimony potential. Applied to Sistan and Baluchestan as an antimony case study, the framework integrates six pillars geology, economics, environment, infrastructure, socio-governance, technology and provides a unified strategic score. Quantitative evidence for the region includes ore concentrate grades up to 32 % antimony, laboratory electrowinning recoveries approaching 97 %, reserves signaling nearly 10 % of global antimony, and beneficiation life cycle assessments estimating 8.0–14.2 kg CO2e per tonne of processed ore. Robustness checks preserved rankings despite rule-weight perturbation and excluding individual assessment pillars. The methodology transfers to other critical minerals through reconfiguring indicator sets and membership functions. The multifaceted framework rigorously identifies and ranks potential mineral hubs by integrating complex parameter evaluations. Through detailed analysis, the research demonstrates Sistan and Baluchestan's potential as a major antimony hub, offering insights into regional geology, economics, and strategic opportunities. The transferable methodology supports strategic decisions in the evolving global energy landscape by assessing other minerals and locations’ resource potential.