The missile consumption in the Iran war highlights the importance of critical minerals, prompting the United States to accelerate building its rare earth supply chain.
A television or a laptop requires just a few grams of rare earth elements, but a single "Tomahawk" cruise missile or "Patriot" missile needs hundreds of grams. According to an analysis by AFP, the wars in the Middle East have driven the U.S. to speed up efforts to establish its own rare earth supply chain. Washington aims to reduce its reliance on China, which remains an irreplaceable key player in this domain.
The Payne Institute, affiliated with the Colorado School of Mines, estimates that since late February, the U.S. has already used thousands of missiles in operations targeting Iran.
Mahnaz Khan, Vice President at the think tank Silverado Policy Accelerator, pointed out: "The Middle East conflict underscores the significance of critical minerals needed for military operations and reveals potential weak points in supply chains." She warned: "This could make it harder for the U.S. to rebuild its ammunition stockpile."
Earlier in late April, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) also cautioned: "Regardless, rebuilding the U.S. munitions stockpile and restoring it to ideal levels will take years."
The most commonly used rare earth elements include neodymium (Nd) and praseodymium (Pr). They are used to produce so-called "permanent magnets," whose magnetic strength is about ten times that of ordinary magnets, widely applied in electric vehicles, wind turbines, and smartphones. Another rare earth element, samarium (Sm), is used in special magnets crucial to the defense industry.
Under the Trump administration's first term and subsequent Biden administration initiatives, the U.S. increased its global rare earth output share from 3% to 13% through subsidies and tax incentives. However, as of 2025, the U.S. still has only one major rare earth mine—Mount Weld in California, operated by MP Materials. In July last year, Ramaco Resources launched the Brook mine in Wyoming, marking the first new major rare earth mine in the U.S. in over 70 years, though it has not yet officially started production.
In addition, multiple projects are underway in Montana, Wyoming, and Nebraska. The U.S. also places hope in recycling industries, including emerging companies like REEcycle, Phoenix Tailings, and MP Materials itself. Meanwhile, the U.S. government is expanding its presence overseas. It recently facilitated the startup USA Rare Earth’s acquisition of Brazil’s Serra Verde rare earth producer, and the U.S. government purchased approximately 10% of USA Rare Earth shares in January this year.
However, mining is merely the first step in the entire process. A complete industrial chain includes refining, separation (i.e., separating different rare earth elements), and further processing. China has dominated the industry by controlling the “separation” technology, maintaining 91% of global capacity in this segment by 2025.
This week, during talks with China, the issue of rare earths was included on the agenda.
Professor Roderick Eggert from the Colorado School of Mines warned: "It will take time for competitors to grow large enough to truly challenge China’s market share among producers."
Reports indicate that in recent months, the U.S. has reached agreements with several resource-producing countries, including Australia, Thailand, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to executives interviewed by AFP, achieving full domestic autonomy—from rare earth mining to commercial sale of permanent magnets—is no longer a fantasy.
Source: rfi
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1865144311785603/
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