Project Vault: Reko Diq is US Critical Minerals Initiative's Only International Entry

• The US launched 'Project Vault', a $12 billion initiative to create its first strategic critical minerals reserve, aiming to insulate domestic industries from supply shocks.
• Pakistan's Reko Diq mines in Balochistan, holding vast copper and gold deposits, received a landmark $1.3 billion investment, making it the sole international project under Project Vault.
• This move challenges China's dominance in rare earth elements, vital for modern technology and defense, as the US seeks to reshape the global critical minerals market.
• Balochistan, Pakistan's largest province, faces ongoing insurgency, with security risks exacerbated by US-made weaponry left after the Afghanistan withdrawal now used by militants.
• Despite security challenges, the Reko Diq investment offers a potential "cash bonanza" for Pakistan, which has a history of IMF bailouts, strengthening ties with the US.