The US State Department explicitly rejected the Taliban’s August 2026 overture for American investment in Afghanistan’s estimated $1 trillion mineral resources, including lithium, copper, cobalt, and rare earths, stating it had no plans to cooperate with the group on such development. Sanctions remain in place, the Taliban government is not recognized, and Washington continues to cite concerns over regime support and domestic policies. The Trump administration has instead advanced critical minerals frameworks and investment pacts with multiple other nations, such as Uzbekistan, Armenia, and Pakistan. No bilateral agreement, negotiations, or diplomatic instrument involving Afghan minerals has been announced or reported through mid-October 2026, leaving traders to price in the substantial procedural, legal, and policy obstacles to any signed deal before year-end.