A U.S. B-2 stealth bomber took off toward Iran carrying more than bombs. Behind the aircraft’s ability to evade radar and strike deep, hardened targets is a quieter dependency: the critical minerals that make American airpower possible. Titanium, arsenic, cobalt, and other materials that rarely appear in military briefings are now central to U.S. national security planning.
That reality is reshaping diplomacy in Washington. Days after the B-2 mission, Secretary of State Marco Rubio convened what officials called a “critical minerals summit,” bringing together representatives from 50 countries. The message was clear: future wars will be shaped not only by weapons, but by those who control the supply chains behind them.
U.S. Geological Survey data shows the United States imports more than 95 percent of its titanium sponge, a material essential for jet engines on the F-35 and the B-2. Saudi Arabia has become a key supplier, now among Washington’s top three sources. In Morocco, U.S. dependence is even sharper: the United States imports all its arsenic used in radar systems and semiconductors, as well as cobalt, a vital component for advanced batteries, artificial intelligence systems, and energy storage.
Israel and Jordan help fill gaps in potash and magnesium needed for defense and chemical industries. Together, these partnerships form the core of a strategy Rubio launched in February 2026 to reduce reliance on China, which still controls much of the global supply of more than 20 critical minerals.
The goal is straightforward. American military power, U.S. officials now acknowledge, cannot remain dependent on Beijing for the materials that enable modern warfare.
Youssef Saoud
Data Analyst at MBN Alhurra
