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December 22, 2025

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International Lithium Corp. (TSXV: ILC,OTC:ILHMF) (OTCQB: ILHMF) (FSE: IAH) (the ‘Company’ or ‘ILC’) will hold its 2025 Annual General Meeting today, December 22, at 9.30 a.m. Pacific Time. At that meeting, John Wisbey, Chairman and CEO, will make the following statement:

‘Good morning, and welcome to the 2025 Annual General Meeting of International Lithium Corp. (‘ILC’ or the ‘Company’). I would like to share a few comments on the year-to-date and the outlook ahead before proceeding with formalities.

‘In summary, 2025 has been a successful year for ILC, improved further by a major turnround in the lithium market from June onwards. The Company completed the sale of its Avalonia property in Ireland, and made a major advance in Southern Africa through obtaining an option to acquire an 80% interest in the company owning the important Karibib project in Namibia. It is important to note that ILC has become much more than a lithium company, and the expansion into other critical minerals will be especially notable if ILC exercises its option in Namibia. As well as lithium, the Karibib project contains the largest declared rubidium resource in Africa, and also enough cesium that, when refined, would meet a year of global demand. Rubidium and cesium are both valuable critical metals with multiple commercial uses.

‘The year for the lithium market has been one of two halves. In H1 2025, the lithium price, and that of related minerals such as spodumene, continued to be very weak, reaching a low in June of circa 10% of the 2023 highs. This, combined with the resultant impact on share prices, was painful for every company in the lithium sector, including ILC. However, in H2 2025, the position has seen a considerable improvement.

‘While much of the commodity market’s focus has been on gold, silver and platinum, the rebound in lithium prices has not been widely reported and has been largely overlooked. Yet in H2 2025, the spodumene price has risen by more than 100%, outperforming all precious metals. Most of that gain has come in Q4 2025. The main benchmark lithium carbonate price Li2CO3 has risen by around 65% from its June 2025 lows. If this trend continues, it will be very positive for the lithium sector.

‘The Company’s flagship Raleigh Lake project in Ontario, Canada is again, at today’s prices for spodumene, an economically viable project even if ILC were to focus solely on lithium. Moreover, it also carries a significant rubidium resource, and one of ILC’s goals in 2026 is to put a formal economic value on that rubidium resource, as we did in the PEA for lithium two years ago.

‘In September 2025, ILC announced that it had acquired an option to buy Lepidico’s 100% interest in Lepidico Mauritius for C$975,000. This brings with it an 80% interest in the Namibian company that owns 100% of the Karibib Lithium, Rubidium and Cesium project. As announced at the time, this is a major project that has received substantial investment and, indeed, reached the Definitive Feasibility Study stage under JORC in 2020. If the option is exercised, ILC will have a major stake in the largest declared rubidium resource in Africa and one of the largest in the world. There is also enough cesium at Karibib that, when refined, could meet a year of world demand. We are still waiting for the outcome of an arbitration case that Lepidico is engaged in and will decide whether or not to exercise the option shortly after receiving that result.

Lepidico’s 80% ownership of Karibib resulted from its 2019 acquisition of TSXV-listed Desert Lion Energy in exchange for shares and other securities valued at that time at AUD$ 22.9 million (approximately CAD$20.7 million). Since acquiring the company in 2019, Lepidico invested a further AUD$ 12.1 million (approximately CAD$ 10.9 million) in the Karibib project, excluding central group overheads, with a significant portion directed towards drilling, an environmental study and subsequently a Definitive Feasibility Study and a further Resource Estimate.

This project could become highly important to ILC in 2026, and the Company’s Southern Africa strategy will hopefully also be supplemented by progress on the announced Zimbabwe EPO applications.

‘The Company completed the sale of the Avalonia project in Ireland to a subsidiary of its partner, Ganfeng Lithium, whereby ILC also retains a 2% Net Smelter Royalty. The total of C$2.5m generated from this was used to advance the investment in the Namibian project and other ongoing initiatives.

Outlook

‘The good work done in 2025, and the upturn in the lithium market, gives a strong possibility of 2026 being a successful period for ILC. As well as extra work at the flagship Raleigh Lake project in Canada, if ILC exercises its option to buy Lepidico Mauritius, it will, at Karibib in Namibia, have a project that could otherwise have taken several years and tens of millions of dollars to bring a similar greenfield project to the same stage, let alone the time to identify such a project. Karibib would bring ILC not only lithium, but also a world-class resource in rubidium and one of the larger cesium deposits not controlled by a Chinese company.

‘Lithium and spodumene prices are now back up to the level where mine development is economically viable at Canadian prices. If their rise continues, this will be positive for ILC and the lithium industry overall. ILC’s additional focus on rubidium and cesium gives further strings to its bow that could turn ILC into a much larger company.

‘In closing, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our valued shareholders, advisors and other stakeholders a Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.’

On behalf of the Company,

John Wisbey
Chairman and CEO
www.internationallithium.ca

For further information concerning this news release, please contact +1 604-449-6520 or info@internationallithium.ca or ILC@yellowjerseypr.com.

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Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Except for statements of historical fact, this news release or other releases contain certain ‘forward-looking information’ within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information or forward-looking statements in this or other news releases may include: the timing of completion of any offering and the amount to be raised, the likelihood or otherwise of the Company exercising its option on Lepidico Mauritius, the outcome of arbitration involving Lepidico Namibia, the effect of results of anticipated production rates, the timing and/or anticipated results of drilling on the Karibib or Raleigh Lake or Firesteel or Wolf Ridge projects, the expectation of resource estimates, preliminary economic assessments, feasibility studies, lithium or rubidium or copper recoveries, modeling of capital and operating costs, results of studies utilizing various technologies at the company’s projects, the Company’s budgeted expenditures, future plans for expansion in Southern Africa and planned exploration work on its projects, increased value of shareholder investments in the Company, the potential from the Company’s third party earn-out or royalty arrangements, the future demand for lithium, rubidium, cesium and copper, and assumptions about ethical behaviour by our joint venture partners or third party operators of projects or royalty partners. Such forward-looking information is based on assumptions and subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those discussed in the sections entitled ‘Risks’ and ‘Forward-Looking Statements’ in the interim and annual Management’s Discussion and Analysis which are available at www.sedarplus.ca. While management believes that the assumptions made are reasonable, there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. Should one or more of the risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking information. Forward-looking information herein, and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on expectations, estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the time of such statements, are subject to significant business, economic, legislative, and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. These estimates and assumptions may prove to be incorrect and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking information should circumstances or management’s estimates or opinions change.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278761

News Provided by Newsfile via QuoteMedia

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is disputing reports that acting Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Madhu Gottumukkala failed a polygraph after seeking access to highly sensitive intelligence, as an internal investigation and the suspension of multiple career cybersecurity officials deepen turmoil inside the agency, according to a report.

Politico reported that Gottumukkala pushed for access to a tightly restricted intelligence program that required a counter-intelligence polygraph and that at least six career staffers were later placed on paid administrative leave for allegedly misleading leadership about the requirement, an assertion DHS strongly denies.

The outlet said its reporting was based on interviews with four former and eight current cybersecurity officials, including multiple Trump administration appointees who worked with Gottumukkala or had knowledge of the polygraph examination and the events that followed. All 12 were granted anonymity over concerns about retaliation, according to Politico.

DHS pushed back on the reporting, saying the polygraph at issue was not authorized and that disciplinary action against career staff complied with department policy.

‘Acting Director Madhu Gottumukkala did not fail a sanctioned polygraph test. An unsanctioned polygraph test was coordinated by staff, misleading incoming CISA leadership,’ DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. ‘The employees in question were placed on administrative leave, pending conclusion of an investigation.’

‘We expect and require the highest standards of performance from our employees and hold them directly accountable to uphold all policies and procedures,’ she continued. ‘Acting Director Gottumukkala has the complete and full support of the Secretary and is laser focused on returning the agency to its statutory mission.’

Politico also reported that Gottumukkala failed a polygraph during the final week of July, citing five current officials and one former official.

The test was administered to determine whether he would be eligible to review one of the most sensitive intelligence programs shared with CISA by another U.S. spy agency, according to the outlet.

That intelligence was part of a controlled access program with strict distribution limits, and the originating agency required any CISA personnel granted need-to-know access to first pass a counter-intelligence polygraph, according to four current officials and one former official cited by Politico.

As a civilian agency, most CISA employees do not require access to such highly classified material or a polygraph to be hired, though polygraphs are commonly used across the Pentagon and U.S. intelligence community to protect the government’s most sensitive information.

Politico reported that senior staff raised questions on at least two occasions about whether Gottumukkala needed access to the intelligence, but said he continued pressing for it even if it meant taking a polygraph, citing four current officials.

The outlet also reported that an initial access request in early June, signed by mid-level CISA staff, was denied by a senior agency official who determined there was no urgent need-to-know and noted that the agency’s previous deputy director had not viewed the program.

That senior official was later placed on administrative leave for unrelated reasons in late June, and a second access request signed by Gottumukkala was approved in early July after the official was no longer in the role, according to current officials cited by Politico.

Despite being advised that access to the most sensitive material was not essential to his job and that lower-classification alternatives were available, Gottumukkala continued to pursue access, officials told the outlet.

Officials interviewed by Politico said they could not definitively explain why Gottumukkala did not pass the July polygraph and cautioned that failures can occur for innocuous reasons such as anxiety or technical errors, noting that polygraph results are generally not admissible in U.S. courts.

On Aug. 1, shortly after the polygraph, at least six career staff involved in scheduling and approving the test were notified in letters from then–acting DHS Chief Security Officer Michael Boyajian that their access to classified national security information was being temporarily suspended for potentially misleading Gottumukkala, according to officials and a letter reviewed by Politico.

‘This action is being taken due to information received by this office that you may have participated in providing false information to the acting head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) regarding the existence of a requirement for a polygraph examination prior to accessing certain programs,’ the letter said. ‘The above allegation shows deliberate or negligent failure to follow policies that protect government information, which raises concerns regarding an individual’s trustworthiness, judgment, reliability or willingness and ability to safeguard classified information.’

In a separate letter dated Aug. 4, the suspended employees were informed by Acting CISA Chief Human Capital Officer Kevin Diana that they had been placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation, according to current and former officials and a copy reviewed by Politico.

Gottumukkala was appointed CISA deputy director in May and previously served as commissioner and chief information officer for South Dakota’s Bureau of Information and Technology, which oversees statewide technology and cybersecurity initiatives.

CISA said in a May press release that Gottumukkala has more than two decades of experience in information technology and cybersecurity across the public and private sectors.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS