The US State Department has explicitly ruled out cooperation with the Taliban on Afghanistan’s mineral sector, rejecting overtures from Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in late August and early September 2026 that sought American investment in exchange for sanctions relief and asset releases. Washington continues to treat the Taliban as a sanctioned entity with no diplomatic recognition, while pursuing critical minerals partnerships elsewhere, including recent agreements with Armenia and Pakistan. Trump administration priorities emphasize supply-chain resilience through allied or non-sanctioned sources, and no formal bilateral instrument involving Afghan minerals has advanced. These policy barriers and lack of engagement sustain trader consensus that a signed deal remains unlikely before year-end.