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After-Tax NPV(8%) of $473M and IRR of 49% at USD $1,000/mtu WO3; Fully funded 20,000m Drill Program Underway to Expand Scale of the Borralha Project

Key Highlights:

  • Robust Economics: After-tax NPV(8%)1 of $473.4 million (USD $346.6 million) and IRR2 of 48.8% at USD $1,000/mtu WO₃3.

  • Capital Efficient Development: Initial capital4 of approximately $124.2 million (USD $91 million) with 4.2-year payback5.

  • Strong Base Case: After-tax IRR2 of 27.2% and NPV(8%)1 of $182.7 million (USD $134.0 million) at ~USD $704/mtu WO₃ (Argus long-term forecast).

  • Significant Upside Leverage: After-tax IRR2 of 78.4% and NPV(8%)1 of $963.8 million (USD $706.4 million) at USD $1,500/mtu WO₃.

  • Resource Growth Just Beginning: Fully funded 20,000-metre drill program underway at the Borralha Project targeting resource expansion and potential mine life extension well beyond the initial 11-year mine plan.

All amounts in Canadian dollars unless stated otherwise.

Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – March 2, 2026) – Allied Critical Metals Inc. (CSE: ACM,OTC:ACMIF) (OTCQB: ACMIF) (FSE: 0VJ0) (‘Allied‘ or the ‘Company‘) is pleased to announce the results of its initial Preliminary Economic Assessment (‘PEA‘) for its 100%-owned Borralha Tungsten Project (‘Borralha‘ or the ‘Project‘) in northern Portugal.

‘The completion of the PEA marks another important milestone for the Company. In addition to the significant tailwinds provided by the significant increase in the price of tungsten, which has surged to more than USD $1,900/mtu [Source: Fastmarkets], we are very pleased to see have been able to receive support from idD Portugal Defence, the Portuguese public entity overseeing the nation’s Defence Industry, which has endorsed the Borralha Project as a strategic initiative of national importance. We have also received a favourable Environmental Impact Declaration, subject to standard regulatory conditions (Declaração de Impacte Ambiental Favorável Condicionada – ‘DIA’) from the Portuguese Environment Agency (Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente, I.P. – APA),’ commented Roy Bonnell, CEO and Director of Allied. ‘We could not be more pleased with the considerable advancement of the Borralha Project and look forward to continuing to more progress at the Borralha Project and the Vila Verde Project, which are both strategic critical mineral tungsten assets well positioned within the EU.’

The PEA outlines a technically robust and capital-efficient underground tungsten development project within the European Union, delivering strong economics across a range of pricing assumptions. Importantly, the study reflects only the Santa Helena Breccia deposit and an initial 11-year mine plan. The Company is committed to long term expansion of the current resource estimate and as such has recently commenced a fully funded 20,000-metre drill program designed to expand the current resource and enhance long-term project scale.

Initial PEA Economic Summary (After-Tax) for the Borralha Project

Medium Case – USD $1,000/mtu WO₃
NPV(8%)1 IRR2 Payback3
$473.4 million4 48.8% 4.2 years
(USD$ 346.6 million)
Base Case – Argus Long-Term Forecast (US$677 to $763/mtu WO₃; ~USD $704/mtu WO₃ Average)
NPV(8%)1 IRR2 Payback3
$182.7 million4 27.2% 5.8 years
(USD$ 134.0 million)
High Case – USD $1,500/mtu WO₃
NPV(8%)1 IRR2 Payback3
$963.8 million4 78.4% 3.2 years
(USD$ 706.4 million)

 

Notes:
1. NPV is a Non-GAAP measure; see notes below for additional information regarding NPV.
2. IRR is a Non-GAAP measure; see notes below for additional information regarding IRR.
3. Payback is a Non-GAAP measure. see notes below for additional information regarding payback.
4. Canadian dollar (CAD) equivalents calculated used a foreign exchange rate of CAD $1.3658/USD.

Mine design and cut-off grade selection were developed using a conservative USD $659/mtu WO₃ assumption. Recent reported tungsten market prices have reached approximately USD $1,998/mtu [Source: Fastmarkets; February 27, 2026], demonstrating meaningful leverage to current market conditions.

Initial Mine Plan – Strong Base with Expansion Potential

  • Mine life: 11 years

  • Average annual production: ~1,708 tonnes WO₃

  • Peak annual production: 2,388 tonnes WO₃

  • Processing rate: 1.4 million tonnes per annum

  • Average mill feed grade: 0.20% WO₃

  • All-in sustaining cost (AISC)6 estimate: ~USD $303/mtu WO₃ (CAD $413.84/mtu WO₃)

The PEA mine plan incorporates Measured, Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources from the Santa Helena Breccia deposit. Mineralization remains open along strike and at depth.

The ongoing 20,000-metre drill program is targeting:

  • Expansion of the current 13.0 Mt Measured & Indicated resource

  • Conversion of Inferred resources into higher-confidence categories

  • Potential extension of mine life beyond 11 years

  • Evaluation of throughput optimization and scale growth

The Company views this initial PEA as a foundational step in what is expected to be a multi-stage growth strategy at the Borralha Project.

Roy Bonnell, CEO & Director commented, ‘This initial PEA confirms the Borralha Project as a high-return, capital-efficient tungsten development project in a Tier-1 European jurisdiction. At USD $1,000 per mtu (significantly below current reported market pricing) the Borralha Project generates a 48.8% after-tax IRR with modest initial capital of approximately USD $91 million.

Importantly, this PEA reflects only the Santa Helena Breccia and an initial 11-year mine plan. With future exploration work and the 20,000 meters of drilling currently underway, we are focused on expanding resources, extending mine life and enhancing overall project scale. We believe we are at the beginning of unlocking the Borralha Project’s full potential.

Combined with a favourable Environmental Impact Declaration, we believe that this PEA opens the door to project level financing for both our industrial scale plant and our pilot plant at the Vila Verde Project.’

Introduction

This initial PEA contemplates development of an underground mining operation at the Santa Helena Breccia deposit within Borralha with a nominal processing capacity of 1.4 million tonnes per annum, utilizing conventional crushing, grinding and gravity concentration to produce a saleable Wolframite concentrate grading approximately 65% WO₃.

The Borralha Project has received a favourable Environmental Impact Declaration (‘DIA’), materially advancing permitting and reducing development risk relative to many global tungsten projects.

Economic Summary

This initial PEA was developed using three pricing frameworks: (i) Low/Base Case: Argus long-term forecast (variable annually) averaging approx. USD $704 per mtu WO₃; (ii) USD $1,000 per mtu WO₃; and (iii) USD $1,500 per mtu WO₃.

Mine design and cut-off grade selection were developed using a conservative price assumption of USD $659 per mtu WO₃.

Table 1 — Economic Results (After-Tax)

Scenario Price1 NPV (8%)2 IRR3 Payback4
Medium $1,365/mtu
(USD $1,000/mtu)
$473.4M
(USD $346.6M)
48.8% 4.2 years
Base $962/mtu
(USD $704/mtu)
$182.7M
(USD $134.0M)
27.2% 5.8 years
High $2,049/mtu
(USD $1,500/mtu)
$963.8M
(USD $706.4M)
78.4% 3.2 years

 
Notes:
1. Prices based on Argus Media Group price forecasts. Canadian dollar (CAD) equivalents calculated used a foreign exchange rate of CAD $1.3658/USD.
2. NPV is a Non-GAAP measure; see notes below for additional information regarding NPV. M = million.
3. IRR is a Non-GAAP measure; see notes below for additional information regarding IRR.
4. Payback is a Non-GAAP measure. see notes below for additional information regarding payback.

The results highlight significant sensitivity to tungsten price while maintaining positive economics under conservative long-term assumptions.

For reference, current reported tungsten market prices are materially above the $1,365 per mtu (USD $1,000 per mtu) sensitivity case presented herein, reaching recently $2,729 per mtu (USD $1,998 per mtu) as at February 27, 2026 [Source: Fastmarkets.]

1. Project Overview

The Borralha Tungsten Project is located in the parish of Salto, municipality of Montalegre, district of Vila Real, Portugal. The project comprises a continuous exploitation concession area of approximately 382.48 hectares (3.82 km²).

This initial PEA has been prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (‘NI 43-101‘) and is based on the updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the Santa Helena Breccia, effective December 30, 2025. See Company’s current technical report on Borralha (the ‘Technical Report‘) entitled ‘Technical Report on the Borralha Property, Parish of Salto, District of Vila Real, Portugal’, dated effective December 30, 2025, which is published on the Company’s website at www.alliedcritical.com and under its profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

Borralha represents one of the largest undeveloped tungsten resources within the European Union and benefits from gravity-dominant processing, reducing metallurgical risk relative to flotation-dependent systems. The project aligns with European critical raw material supply objectives.

2. Mineral Resource Estimate

This initial PEA is based on the updated Mineral Resource Estimate (‘MRE‘ or ‘2025 MRE‘) for the Santa Helena Breccia, which were presented in accordance with NI 43-101 in the Company’s current Technical Report.

Mineral Resources are reported in situ and undiluted and do not incorporate modifying factors such as mining dilution, mining recovery, metallurgical recovery, capital costs, operating costs, or economic analysis. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability.

MRE Cut-off Grade: 0.09% WO₃

The cut-off grade was selected based on reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction under conceptual underground mining and gravity-dominant processing assumptions, including a very conservative tungsten price of USD$ 550/mtu WO₃ and assumed recovery of approximately 80% (for MRE cut-off determination only). The 2025 MRE reflects a material increase in tonnage and geological confidence relative to the previous mineral resource estimate published in March 2024.

Under the 2025 MRE, the Santa Helena Breccia has been tested by 41 drill holes and surface trenching over approximately 400 meters of strike length and to depths exceeding 350 meters below surface. Mineralization remains open along strike and at depth.

Table 2 — 2025 MRE for Borralha (see also Technical Report for further details)

Classification Tonnes (Mt) Grade (% WO3)
Measured + Indicated 13.0 0.21
Inferred 7.7 0.18

 

3. Mining Method and Production Plan

3.1 Selected Mining Method

The planned mining method for the Santa Helena Breccia involves using mostly long-hole open stoping with cemented paste backfill. This method was selected based on: (i) steeply dipping geometry of the breccia-hosted mineralization; (ii) demonstrated geological continuity; (iii) favorable rock mass conditions; (iv) productivity and operating cost advantages; and (v) reduced surface footprint.

Drift-and-fill mining is incorporated locally in narrower high-grade zones to enhance resource recovery. Open-pit mining and alternative underground methods were evaluated during the conceptual study stage and were not selected due to environmental constraints, scale suitability, and relative operating efficiency.

3.2 Mine Production Schedule

Key operating parameters:

  • Nominal processing rate: 1.4 million tonnes per annum
  • Estimated mine life: approximately 11 years
  • Total life-of-mine processed tonnes: approximately 13.4 million tonnes
  • Average life-of-mine mill feed grade: approximately 0.20% WO₃

The production schedule supports consistent mill feed and stable concentrate production throughout the mine life.

Table 3 — LoM Totals and Averages

Item Amount
Mine life (production years shown) 11 years (2028–2039)
Total ore processed 13,436,040 t
Weighted average WO₃ grade 0.203% WO₃ (≈0.20%)
Total contained WO₃ 27,332 t
Total recovered WO₃ @ 75% 20,499 t
Average annual recovered WO₃ @ 75% ~1,708 t/y

 

Table 4 — Life-of-Mine Schedule Summary

Year Ore Processed (t) Avg. WO₃ Grade (%) Recovered WO₃ (t)
2028 876,304 0.19 1,249
2029 988,042 0.20 1,482
2030 1,387,624 0.18 1,873
2031 1,339,273 0.19 1,908
2032 1,362,177 0.18 1,839
2033 1,373,856 0.23 2,370
2034 1,444,646 0.21 2,275
2035 1,447,061 0.22 2,388
2036 1,236,886 0.20 1,855
2037 1,226,553 0.20 1,840
2038 585,701 0.26 1,142
2039 167,917 0.22 277

 

3.3 Dilution and Recovery Assumptions

The mine plan incorporates Measured, Indicated, and Inferred Mineral Resources within a stope optimization framework consistent with long-hole open stoping methods.

Applied modifying factors include:

  • Mining dilution: approximately 8% (average between primary and secondary stopes)
  • Mining recovery: approximately 89%
    • ~90% for primary stopes
    • ~88% for secondary stopes
  • Drift-and-fill: approximately 7.5% dilution and 95% recovery

After application of these factors, the projected average life-of-mine mill feed grade is approximately 0.20% WO₃.

The PEA includes Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied that would enable them to be categorized as Mineral Reserves. There is no certainty that the results of the PEA will be realized.

Inferred material represents less than approximately 40% of the life-of-mine stope inventory on a volumetric basis and is predominantly located along the margins and outer extents of the deposit.

4. Metallurgy and Processing

4.1 Metallurgical Test Work

Metallurgical test work completed to date indicates that Santa Helena Breccia mineralization is amenable to gravity-dominant processing.

The initial metallurgical program (2023–2024) evaluated crushing, grinding, sulfide flotation, gravimetric concentration, and magnetic separation. Subsequent optimization reduced reliance on flotation by incorporating dense media separation (‘DMS‘) pre-concentration and enhanced gravity recovery.

4.2 Process Flow Sheet

The proposed process plant includes:

  • Three-stage crushing to approximately 6 mm
  • DMS pre-concentration on the 6–2 mm fraction (rejecting approximately 40% of mass)
  • Grinding of DMS product and -2 mm fraction to 1 mm
  • Gravimetric concentration using spirals and shaking tables
  • Magnetic and electrostatic separation for final concentrate upgrading
  • Flotation circuit for copper and tin recovery
  • Filtered tailings with dewatering and partial paste backfill return underground

4.3 Recovery and Concentrate Grades

Preliminary metallurgical recovery estimates:

  • Tungsten: 75%
  • Copper: ~60%
  • Tin: 30%

Expected concentrate specifications:

  • Tungsten concentrate: ~65% WO₃
  • Copper concentrate: ~21% Cu
  • Tin concentrate: ~50% Sn

Silver credits may partially report to the copper concentrate, subject to further test work confirmation.

5. Infrastructure and Site Requirements

The Borralha Project benefits from:

  • Regional road access
  • Grid power availability
  • Underground mining configuration minimizing surface disturbance
  • Filtered dry-stack tailings concept
  • Closed-loop water management system

6. Environmental and Permitting

In January 2026, the Portuguese Environment Agency issued a Favourable Environmental Impact Declaration (‘DIA‘) for the Borralha Project, subject to standard regulatory conditions.

This milestone confirms environmental acceptability of the proposed development and enables progression to the RECAPE stage and subsequent construction permitting.

The Borralha Project aligns with European Union critical raw material strategy and contributes to regional economic development objectives.

7. Economic Framework

7.1 Pricing Framework

The life-of-mine design, cut-off grade selection and production schedule were developed using a conservative tungsten price assumption of USD $659 per metric tonne unit (‘mtu‘) WO₃, consistent with the Argus long-term base case forecast. The Base Case economic model applies the Argus high-case long-term forecast on a year-by-year basis, ranging from approximately USD $763 per mtu in 2028 and gradually declining toward approximately USD $677 per mtu by 2040, for an average price of approximately USD $704 per mtu. [Source: Argus Media Group.]

This approach maintains a conservative technical design basis while allowing the economic analysis to reflect updated long-term market expectations without re-optimizing mine geometry.

Flat price sensitivity scenarios at USD $1,000/mtu and USD $1,500/mtu WO₃ are presented for comparative purposes.

7.2 Operating Cost Summary

The Borralha Project is based on conventional underground mining and gravity-dominant processing, resulting in a competitive cost structure.

Life-of-mine average operating costs7 are estimated at:

  • US$49 per tonne processed
  • Equivalent to approximately USD $245 per mtu WO₃ produced (based on a 0.20% average mill feed grade and 75% metallurgical recovery)

Operating cost components include:

  • Underground mining
  • Processing and plant operations
  • General and administrative costs
  • Site services and infrastructure support

The cost structure incorporates modifying factors of approximately 8% mining dilution, 89% mining recovery, and 75% metallurgical recovery.

7.3 All-In Sustaining Cost (AISC)

The Project’s estimated all-in sustaining cost8, inclusive of sustaining capital and site-level costs, is approximately: USD $303 per mtu WO₃.

This positions the Borralha Project competitively within the global tungsten cost curve.

7.4 Capital Costs

The PEA estimates capital costs9 as follows:

  • Initial capital cost: approximately USD $91 million (CAD $124.3 million)
  • Sustaining capital: approximately USD $87 million (CAD $118.8 million)
  • Total life-of-mine capital: approximately USD $178 million (CAD $243.1 million)

Capital estimates are preliminary in nature and carry an accuracy range of ±35%, consistent with PEA-level studies.

7.5 Economic Metrics (After-Tax)

Medium Case – USD $1,000/mtu WO₃
NPV(8%)1 IRR2 Payback3
$473.4 million 48.8% 4.2 years
(USD$ 346.6 million)
Base Case – Argus Long-Term Forecast (US$677 to $763/mtu WO₃; ~USD $704/mtu WO₃ Average)
NPV(8%)1 IRR2 Payback3
$182.7 million 27.2% 5.8 years
(USD$ 134.0 million)
High Case – USD $1,500/mtu WO₃
NPV(8%)1 IRR2 Payback3
$963.8 million 78.4% 3.2 years
(USD$ 706.4 million)

 

Notes:
1. NPV is a Non-GAAP measure; see notes below for additional information regarding NPV.
2. IRR is a Non-GAAP measure; see notes below for additional information regarding IRR.
3. Payback is a Non-GAAP measure. see notes below for additional information regarding payback.
4. Canadian dollar (CAD) equivalents calculated used a foreign exchange rate of CAD $1.3658/USD.

Mine design and cut-off grade selection were developed using a conservative USD $659/mtu WO₃ assumption. Recent reported tungsten market prices have reached approximately USD $1,998/mtu [Source: Fastmarkets; February 27, 2026], demonstrating meaningful leverage to current market conditions.

7.6 Sensitivity Analysis

Sensitivity analysis demonstrates that Project economics are most sensitive to: (i) tungsten price; (ii) capital costs; (iii) operating costs; and (iv) metallurgical recovery.

The Project retains positive economics across a range of tungsten price assumptions. At the Base Case price assumption, the Project generates robust operating margins, with significant leverage to higher tungsten price scenarios.

The Project demonstrates strong leverage to tungsten price. The following sensitivity analysis illustrates the post-tax IRR and NPV (8%) across a flat tungsten price range of USD $500 to USD $1,700 per mtu WO₃.

Figure 1 — After-Tax NPV (8%) and IRR Sensitivity to Tungsten Price

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11632/285820_ede9ceca64ea6a8e_001full.jpg

Notes: IRR is a Non-GAAP measure; see notes below for additional information regarding IRR. NPV is a Non-GAAP measure; see notes below for additional information regarding NPV.

8. Growth and Expansion Opportunities

Mineralization at the Santa Helena Breccia remains open along strike and at depth, providing potential for future Mineral Resource expansion through additional drilling. The current underground mine design is based on the defined Mineral Resource; however, further infill and step-out drilling may support resource conversion and potential extension of mine life. The process plant has been designed at a nominal throughput of 1.4 Mtpa. Subject to further engineering studies and market conditions, the plant layout may allow for future throughput expansion. Selective mining and continued geological refinement may enhance grade control and support optimization of the life-of-mine grade profile.

9. Strategic Positioning

The Borralha Project represents one of the largest undeveloped tungsten resources within the European Union and is positioned to contribute to European supply chain security for this designated critical raw material. The combination of underground mining, gravity-dominant processing and significant permitting advancement materially reduces technical and development risk relative to many global tungsten development projects.

The favourable Environmental Impact Declaration (DIA) provides regulatory clarity and supports advancement toward the next stage of engineering and feasibility.

10. Project Risks and Uncertainties

This initial PEA is preliminary in nature and includes Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied that would enable them to be categorized as Mineral Reserves. There is no certainty that the results of the PEA will be realized.

Key risks and uncertainties include:

  • Inclusion of Inferred Mineral Resources within the mine plan
  • Variability in tungsten price and foreign exchange rates
  • Capital cost escalation and schedule risk
  • Metallurgical recovery variability
  • Underground geotechnical and hydrogeological conditions
  • Regulatory and permitting timelines
  • Availability of equipment and human resources

11. Recommended Work Program

The Company intends to advance Borralha toward the next stage of engineering through:

  • Infill drilling to upgrade Inferred Mineral Resources to higher confidence categories
  • Step-out drilling to expand Mineral Resources and potentially extend mine life.
  • Additional metallurgical optimization and variability testing
  • Detailed geotechnical and hydrogeological investigations
  • Engineering advancement toward a Pre-Feasibility Study
  • Ongoing permitting and RECAPE progression

These activities are intended to further de-risk the Borralha Project and support advancement toward a Feasibility Study.

12. Quality Control

The Company has implemented a comprehensive and well-documented quality assurance and quality control (‘QA/QC‘) program consistent with industry best practices. Drill core and reverse circulation samples were prepared at ISO-accredited ALS Global facilities in Seville, Spain, and analyzed at ALS Global’s certified laboratory in Loughrea, Ireland, using XRF methods for tungsten (W-XRF05 and W-XRF10), with routine internal laboratory QA/QC procedures including pulp duplicates. The Company inserted certified reference materials (‘CRMs‘), blank samples, and field duplicates into the sample stream at regular intervals, including one CRM every 20 routine samples and two blanks per analytical batch.

Five independent CRMs covering multiple grade ranges were used. Samples exceeding ±3 standard deviations from expected CRM values, or blanks exceeding three times detection limits, triggered re-assay of the affected batch. Reverse circulation samples were weighed to monitor recovery and reject materials were securely stored. Independent verification sampling by a Qualified Person confirmed the reliability of the analytical database. The Qualified Persons are satisfied that the QA/QC procedures and resulting analytical data are appropriate for use in the Mineral Resource Estimate and the PEA.

13. Qualified Persons

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by the following Qualified Persons, as defined under NI 43-101:

J. Douglas Blanchflower, P.Geo.

Mr. Blanchflower is an independent Qualified Person under NI 43-101 and was retained by Allied Critical Metals Inc. to prepare the NI 43-101 Technical Report dated effective December 30, 2025. He has overall responsibility for the 2025 MRE and the Technical Report. Mr. Blanchflower is a Registered Professional Geoscientist in good standing with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (No. 19086) and has more than five decades of experience in mineral exploration, resource estimation, and technical reporting. Mr. Blanchflower has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this news release relating to the mineral resource estimate.

David Castro López, BSc, MIMMM, QMR

Mr. Castro López is a Mining Engineer and a Professional Member (MIMMM #685484) and Qualified for Minerals Reporting (QMR) of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3). He is independent of the Company and the Borralha Project. Mr. Castro López contributed to the metallurgical review and process design considerations supporting the PEA and takes responsibility for the metallurgical and mineral processing information contained herein. Mr. López has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this news release relating to the metallurgical and mineral processing information contained herein.

Miguel Cabal, EurGeol, Licensed Geologist

Mr. Cabal is a licensed geologist with the European Federation of Geologists (EuroGeol #1439) with over 28 years of experience in mineral exploration, resource evaluation and mine development. He is Managing Director of Geomates (Spain) and has contributed to multiple NI 43-101 and JORC-compliant technical reports, including PEA, PFS and feasibility studies. Mr. Cabal is independent of Allied Critical Metals Inc. and the Borralha Project and has reviewed and approved the mining and economic components of the PEA. Mr. Cabal has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this news release relating to the mining and economic components of this news release.

Vítor Arezes, BSc, MIMMM, QMR

Mr. Arezes is Vice President Exploration of Allied Critical Metals Inc. and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. He is not independent of the Company due to his role as an officer. Mr. Arezes has extensive experience in tungsten and polymetallic mineral systems and has conducted multiple site visits to the Borralha Project, including during the 2025 drilling campaign. He contributed to geological interpretation, exploration oversight, and technical review supporting the PEA. He is a member of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (MIMMM #703197) and a Qualified Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves Professional (QMR), and by reason of education, professional experience, and accreditation, meets the definition of a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101. Mr. Arezes has reviewed and approved all of the scientific and technical information in this news release.

Figure 2 — South – North longitudinal section on mine design at Sta. Helena Breccia

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11632/285820_ede9ceca64ea6a8e_002full.jpg

Figure 3 — East – West transversal section on mine design at Sta. Helena Breccia

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11632/285820_ede9ceca64ea6a8e_003full.jpg

About Allied Critical Metals Inc.

Allied Critical Metals Inc. is a Canadian-based mining company focused on the advancement and revitalization of its 100%-owned Borralha Tungsten Project and the Vila Verde Tungsten Project in northern Portugal.

The Borralha Project is one of the largest undeveloped tungsten resources within the European Union and benefits from a favourable Environmental Impact Declaration (DIA), positioning the Project for advancement toward feasibility and development. Vila Verde represents additional exploration upside within the same strategic jurisdiction.

Tungsten has been designated a critical raw material by the United States and the European Union due to its strategic importance in defense, aerospace, manufacturing, automotive, electronics and energy applications. Currently, China, Russia and North Korea account for approximately 87% of global tungsten supply and reserves, highlighting the importance of secure western sources.

Further details regarding the Borralha Project are available in the Company’s NI 43-101 Technical Report dated December 30, 2025, filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company’s website at www.alliedcritical.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

‘Roy Bonnell’
CEO and Director

Additional information is also available by contacting the Company:

Dave Burwell
Vice President, Corporate Development
daveb@alliedcritical.com
Tel:403-410-7907
Toll Free: 1-800-221-0915

Please also visit our website at www.alliedcritical.com.

Also visit us at:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/allied-critical-metals-inc/
X: https://x.com/@alliedcritical/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alliedcriticalmetals/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alliedcriticalmetals/

The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains ‘forward-looking information’ within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws (‘FLI‘). FLI in this release includes, without limitation, statements regarding: (A) the PEA results and economic indicators (e.g., NPV, IRR, payback and related sensitivities); (B) the conceptual mine plan and operating framework (mining approach, processing rates, production profiles, cost ranges and schedules); (C) the technical basis and process assumptions (cut-off approach, flowsheet concept and anticipated concentrate specifications); (D) the status and trajectory of permitting and approvals, infrastructure access and other site requirements; (E) market-related assumptions and the Project’s sensitivity and leverage to commodity pricing; (F) growth, conversion and expansion opportunities, including planned drilling and other technical programs; (G) the anticipated sequence of future studies, potential financing pathways and indicative timelines; and (H) the Project’s strategic positioning relative to regional and policy objectives. Such FLI is identified by, among other things, words such as ‘plans’, ‘expects’, ‘is expected’, ‘aims’, ‘budget’, ‘scheduled’, ‘estimates’, ‘forecasts’, ‘intends’, ‘anticipates’, ‘potential’, ‘target’, ‘opportunity’, ‘may’, ‘could’, ‘would’, ‘might’, ‘will’ and similar terminology, as well as statements regarding outcomes that ‘will’, ‘should’ or ‘would’ occur.

Material assumptions underlying the FLI include, but are not limited to: the accuracy of the 2025 MRE; geological continuity; the PEA-level capital/operating cost estimates (with typical PEA accuracy ranges); metallurgical recoveries and process performance consistent with test results to date; availability of labour, equipment and consumables at quoted/priced levels; access to grid power and water on contemplated terms; the ability to obtain land access, permits and approvals (including RECAPE) in a timely manner; tungsten pricing consistent with Argus long-term forecasts or stated sensitivity cases; foreign exchange and inflation consistent with study inputs; and availability of financing on acceptable terms. The Company believes these assumptions are reasonable as of the date hereof, but no assurance can be given that they will prove correct.

The PEA is preliminary in nature and includes Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as Mineral Reserves. There is no certainty that the PEA results will be realized. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Any reference to potential production, mine life, NPV, IRR, payback, costs, recoveries, or other economic or technical parameters is preliminary and conceptual.

Key risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the FLI include, but are not limited to: (i) exploration, geological, modelling and grade-continuity risks, including the risk that further work does not confirm Inferred material or resource extensions; (ii) risks that metallurgical performance, WO₃ recoveries, concentrate quality or processing costs differ from test work and assumptions; (iii) capital cost escalation, schedule delays, contractor availability and supply-chain constraints; (iv) operating cost inflation (power, reagents, labour, transportation); (v) commodity price and FX volatility (including sustained periods below the Argus long-term or sensitivity prices assumed); (vi) permitting, environmental, social, community, land access and regulatory risks in Portugal (including RECAPE outcomes and permit conditions); (vii) water, tailings and geotechnical/hydrogeological risks inherent in underground operations; (viii) offtake, marketing and market-access risks for tungsten concentrates; (ix) availability and cost of equity, debt or project finance on acceptable terms; (x) changes in laws, regulations, taxes, royalties, or government policies; and (xi) other risks described under ‘Business Risks’ in the Company’s most recent MD&A and in other continuous disclosure filings available on SEDAR+. Readers are urged to carefully review those risk factors, which are expressly incorporated by reference into this cautionary note.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The Company has included certain non-GAAP financial measures in this press release. These financial measures are not defined under International Financial Reporting Standards (‘IFRS‘) and should not be considered in isolation. The Company believes that these financial measures, together with financial measures determined in accordance with IFRS, provide investors with an improved ability to evaluate the underlying performance of the Company. The inclusion of these financial measures is meant to provide additional information and should not be used as a substitute for performance measures prepared in accordance with IFRS. These financial measures are not necessarily standard and therefore may not be comparable to other issuers.

Net Present Value (NPV) – is the present value calculation of net profit from operations determined using a particular discount rate. All NPV values stated herein are on an after tax basis.

Internal Rate of Return (IRR) – is a financial metric used to assess an investment’s profitability by calculating the annual rate of return that makes the NPV of all cash flows (both positive and negative) equal to zero.

Payback – is calculated in years as the length of time that it takes to pay off the capital costs from annual net profit expected from operations at the Borralha Project.

Initial capital – is the initial capital cost amount required to be expended to construct the mine and tungsten concentrator process equipment and buildings to begin processing mineralized material into saleable tungsten concentrate at commercial quantities according to the life of mine plan at the Borralha Project. This is an estimate accurate to +/-35%.

Sustaining capital – is a supplementary financial measure which reflects cash basis expenditures which are expected to maintain operations and sustain production levels at the Borralha Project.

Capital costs – include the Initial capital and the sustaining capital.

Operating costs – are the costs required to process mineralized material into saleable tungsten concentrate at the Borralha Project. This includes: underground mining; processing and plant operations; general and administrative costs; and site services and infrastructure support. This can be calculated on the unit basis per mtu WO3 produced.

All-In Sustaining Costs (AISC) – are comprised of sustaining capital expenditures and site level costs to support ongoing operations and closure costs. All-in sustaining costs per mtu WO3 is calculated as AISC divided by the amount of mtu WO3 produced during the period that the costs are incurred. All-in sustaining costs capture the important components of the Company’s production and related costs and are used by the Company and investors to understand projected cost performance at the Borralha Project.

1 NPV(8%) = net present value at a 8% discount rate. NPV is a Non-GAAP measure; see notes below for additional information regarding NPV. USD = United States dollars. Canadian dollar (CAD) equivalents calculated used a foreign exchange rate of CAD $1.3658/USD.
2 IRR = internal rate of return. IRR is a Non-GAAP measure; see notes below for additional information regarding IRR.
3 mtu/WO3 = metric tonne unit of tungsten; WO3 is tungsten trioxide.
4 Initial capital is a Non-GAAP measure. see notes below for additional information regarding initial capital.
5 Payback is a Non-GAAP measure. see notes below for additional information regarding payback.
6 All-in sustaining cost (AISC); AISC is a Non-GAAP measure; see notes below for additional information regarding AISC.
7 Operating costs are a Non-GAAP measure; see notes below for additional information regarding operating costs.
8 All-in sustaining costs (AISC) is a Non-GAAP measure; see notes below for additional information regarding AISC.
9 Capital costs are a Non-GAAP measure; see notes below for additional information regarding capital costs.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/285820

News Provided by TMX Newsfile via QuoteMedia

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FBI Director Kash Patel said Saturday that he has placed the bureau’s counterterrorism and intelligence teams on high alert as U.S. operations against Iran unfold.

‘Last night, I instructed our Counterterrorism and intelligence teams to be on high alert and mobilize all assisting security assets needed,’ Patel wrote on X. ‘Our JTTFs throughout the country are working 24/7, as always, to address and disrupt any potential threats to the homeland.’

Patel added that while the U.S. military is handling force protection overseas, the FBI ‘remains at the forefront of deterring attacks here at home’ and will continue working around the clock to protect Americans.

A law enforcement source said the shift typically means the bureau would increase surveillance of priority suspects, task confidential sources and review technical intelligence collection.

The heightened posture follows ongoing U.S. strikes on Iranian targets as tensions escalate across the region.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said she is ‘in direct coordination with our federal intelligence and law enforcement partners as we continue to closely monitor and thwart any potential threats to the homeland.’

The alert also unfolds during a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.

Jason Pack, a retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent and Fox News contributor, said heightened vigilance is standard practice when U.S. military operations intersect with adversaries that have historically responded through indirect or unconventional retaliation.

‘The intelligence and counterterrorism communities work on this kind of scenario continuously, long before any conflict begins,’ Pack said. ‘When the United States commits to a joint military campaign with Israel, the domestic threat environment doesn’t simply remain static. It could shift, potentially significantly.’

Pack said adversarial actors — including Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas’s external networks and Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps proxies — have historically demonstrated both intent and, in some cases, the capability to respond to American military commitments.

Pack said such steps reflect a proactive posture.

‘This is not reactive,’ he said. ‘It’s an ongoing discipline built into the daily work of understanding threats before they materialize.’

Meanwhile, the U.S. Secret Service said it is actively monitoring the situation and coordinating with federal and local partners. The agency said its protective model is adaptable to the current security environment and that the public may notice an increased law enforcement presence around protected sites.

In Washington, D.C., the Metropolitan Police Department said it is closely monitoring events in Iran and coordinating with local, state and federal partners to safeguard residents and visitors.

‘At this time, there are no known threats to DC,’ the department said. ‘We are prepared to increase our presence as needed.’

Police urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity.

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President Donald Trump’s joint strikes with Israel against Iran have intensified a growing bipartisan push in Congress to rein in his war powers, with lawmakers in both parties demanding votes on resolutions aimed at limiting his authority to use military force in the region.

Members in both chambers had already planned to force votes before the first bombs fell Saturday. Now, they are doubling down on calls to restrict the president’s military authority.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., has repeatedly forced votes to curb Trump’s war powers abroad — he was nearly successful in halting further military action in Venezuela until Republicans blocked the effort earlier this year.

Kaine had already prepped his latest resolution, co-sponsored by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., for a vote in the Senate next week. He argued Saturday that the strikes, carried out without congressional approval, further underscore why a vote should be held immediately.

‘These strikes are a colossal mistake, and I pray they do not cost our sons and daughters in uniform and at embassies throughout the region their lives,’ Kaine said in a statement. ‘The Senate should immediately return to session and vote on my War Powers Resolution to block the use of U.S. forces in hostilities against Iran.’

In the House, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., are preparing their own war powers resolution for a vote.

Massie said in a post on X that he opposed ‘this war. This is not ‘America First.’’

‘When Congress reconvenes, I will work with [Khanna] to force a congressional vote on war with Iran,’ Massie said. ‘The Constitution requires Congress to vote, and your representative needs to be on record as opposing or supporting this war.’

The effort has the backing of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who earlier in the week noted that the resolution would require ‘the president to come to Congress to make the case for using military force against Iran.’

The resolution’s fate in the House remains uncertain, given that a handful of House Democrats have broken with their party and backed the administration’s strikes in Iran.

Massie and Khanna’s push may also have the support of at least one more Republican in the lower chamber.

Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, appeared ready to back their war powers resolution following news of the strikes Saturday. He reiterated a position he made earlier in the week in a post on X.

‘I have asked for a classified briefing defining the mission in Iran,’ Davidson said. ‘In the absence of new information, I will support the War Powers Resolution in the House next week.’

‘War requires congressional authorization,’ he continued. ‘There are actions short of war, but no case has been made.’

Meanwhile, back in the Senate, the success of Kaine and Paul’s push will require Senate Republicans to cross the aisle.

They found a short-lived bipartisan coalition earlier this year, when their resolution targeting military action in Venezuela survived a key procedural vote. The group included Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Todd Young, R-Ind.

Both Hawley and Young later flipped their positions after assurances from the administration that there would be no boots on the ground in Venezuela and that Trump would seek congressional approval for any future military action in the region.

Whether that same standard will apply to operations in Iran remained unclear Saturday. Murkowski and Young both said they hope to receive thorough briefings in the days ahead.

‘Last summer, following Operation Midnight Hammer, I supported the administration’s targeted actions in Iran after receiving a comprehensive briefing from senior officials,’ Murkowski said on X. ‘Events are rapidly unfolding, and I expect Congress to receive the same level of engagement so we fully understand the scope, objectives and risks of any further military action.’

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The Islamic Republic of Iran has built a coalition of largely Shiite terrorist proxies — the axis of resistance — that is set to join Tehran in counterstrikes in response to the joint U.S.-Israel preventive attacks on Iran’s military installations and leadership.

The most dangerous of Iran’s allies is its main strategic partner, which is Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah. Israel’s army had been intensely targeting Hezbollah positions ahead of the U.S. campaign, Operation Epic Fury.

Hezbollah

The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) is obligated to disarm Hezbollah, according to the Nov. 2024 ceasefire with Israel. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson, Effie Defrin, said on Friday that ‘In Lebanon, we continue to act daily against attempts by the Hezbollah terrorist organization to rebuild and rearm.’

He said, ‘An example of this is the strike we carried out yesterday in the Baalbek area, during which we targeted ammunition depots and eliminated terrorists from the Radwan Force. We will not allow Hezbollah to rebuild its capabilities and pose a threat to Israeli civilians.’

An official from Hezbollah said on Wednesday that the jihadi terrorist organization will not intervene militarily if the U.S. delivers ‘limited’ strikes Iran. Yet the Hezbollah official said they regard any attack against Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a ‘red line.’

According to the Israel-based Alma Research and Education Center (Alma),’Hezbollah fields a substantial combat force, estimated at around 40,000–50,000 active combatants and an additional 30,000–50,000 reservists. Central to its offensive structure is the Radwan Unit, which Hezbollah is making major efforts to rebuild and restore.’

IDF Lt. Col. (Res.) Sarit Zehavi, president and founder of Alma in northern Israel, told Fox News Digital, that the ‘Lebanese army is not putting much effort into disarming Hezbollah. The outcome of that is good intentions are just words. As a resident of the north, I have not seen any systematic disarmament.’

Edy Cohen, a Lebanese-born Israeli scholar of Hezbollah, told Fox News Digital the ‘Lebanese population does not see Hezbollah as resistance’ because Hezbollah lost its recent war against Israel. He said Hezbollah failed in its efforts to aid Hamas in Gaza to defeat Israel after its Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of the Jewish state.

Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces:

The second Iranian-backed proxy is the Shiite militia movement in Iraq. Entifadh Qanbar, a former spokesman for the deputy Prime Minister of Iraq, told Fox News Digital he believes the Shiite militia will join Iran in the war: ‘Many second-tier Shia leaders, militia lords, as I like to call them, harbor ambitions to rise and challenge the aging top-tier top leadership. They have accumulated enormous wealth, and the only way they can compete with the old guard is by proving to Iran that they are bold, reckless and ready to fight in defense of Tehran.’

He added, ‘Their ambitions have blinded their rational thinking. These are militia terrorists with little understanding of the outside world, yet they are dangerously overconfident. They are loose cannons, completely out of control and Iran is prepared to throw them into the fire because they are expendable. That is why you see Kataeb Hezbollah in Iraq issuing threats, while older, more established militias like Hezbollah Lebanon have made it clear they will not participate.’

The pro-Iran Iraqi militia accuses the U.S. of bombing it and pledged a retaliatory response on Saturday. Kataeb Hezbollah said the U.S. is responsible for a strike that targeted an Iraqi military base that houses the Iranian proxy militia. The Iraqi terrorist group says it will ‘soon start assaulting American bases in response to their attacks.’

Houthis:

The third part of the axis of resistance is the Houthi movement in Yemen.

The Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen have decided to resume missile and drone attacks on shipping routes and on Israel in support of Iran, according to two senior Houthi officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because there is no official announcement from the Houthi leadership, according to the Associated Press.

One of the officials said the rebels’ first attack could come as soon as ‘tonight.’ Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in the Gaza Strip is also part of the axis of resistance and Hamas and Iran are also partners in their campaigns to destroy the Jewish state.

THE Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Israel pummeled Iranian targets with simultaneous airstrikes from roughly 200 fighter jets in what the Israeli military dubbed its largest ever military flyover in its history.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Saturday published video of its airstrike on missile launchers in western Iran as Israel and the U.S. take part in a joint effort against Tehran.

The IDF said the fighter jets flew under the direction of IDF intelligence and the Israeli Air Force and executed an ‘extensive attack’ against the Iranian regime’s missile and defense systems in western and central Iran.

‘This is the largest military flyover in the history of the Israeli Air Force (IAF), conducted following accurate planning and based on high-quality intelligence, while synchronizing hundreds of fighter jets at the same time,’ the IDF said.

Fighter jets dropped hundreds of munitions on about 500 targets, including aerial defense systems and missile launchers, attaining air superiority over Iran and severely degrading its offensive capabilities.

‘The military flyover thwarted numerous threats to the IAF’s fighter jets and to Israeli civilians,’ the IDF said, adding that the IAF continues to operate in Iran.

Israel announced it had launched an attack on Iran shortly after explosions were heard in Tehran on Saturday morning. One of the first strikes hit near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It wasn’t immediately clear where Khamenei was at the time; he hadn’t been seen for days.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the attacks that took part across the country as being done ‘to remove threats.’

Iran’s military, symbols of government and intelligence sites were targeted, according to an official briefed on the operation, told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss nonpublic information.

President Donald Trump said the joint effort was a massive operation to destroy the country’s military capabilities and eliminate the threat of it creating a nuclear weapon.

World leaders were split over the U.S.-Israeli military operation.

Iran launched retaliatory strikes against U.S. bases in neighboring countries throughout the Gulf, prompting many Arab countries to condemn the regime’s strikes.

Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf, along with The Associated Press, contributed to this report.

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The Islamic Republic of Iran has built a coalition of largely Shiite terrorist proxies — the axis of resistance — that will join Tehran in counterstrikes in response to the joint U.S.-Israel preventive attacks on Iran’s military installations and leadership.

The most dangerous of Iran’s allies is its main strategic partner, the Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah. 

Israel’s army had been intensely targeting Hezbollah positions ahead of the U.S. campaign, Operation Epic Fury.

Hezbollah

The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) is obligated to disarm Hezbollah, according to the November 2024 ceasefire with Israel. 

‘In Lebanon, we continue to act daily against attempts by the Hezbollah terrorist organization to rebuild and rearm,’ Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Effie Defrin said Friday.

‘An example of this is the strike we carried out yesterday in the Baalbek area, during which we targeted ammunition depots and eliminated terrorists from the Radwan Force. We will not allow Hezbollah to rebuild its capabilities and pose a threat to Israeli civilians.’

An official from Hezbollah said Wednesday that the jihadi terrorist organization will not intervene militarily if the U.S. delivers ‘limited’ strikes on Iran. Yet the Hezbollah official said the organization regards any attack against Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a ‘red line.’

According to the Israel-based Alma Research and Education Center (Alma), ‘Hezbollah fields a substantial combat force, estimated at around 40,000-50,000 active combatants and an additional 30,000-50,000 reservists. Central to its offensive structure is the Radwan Unit, which Hezbollah is making major efforts to rebuild and restore.’

IDF Lt. Col. (Res.) Sarit Zehavi, president and founder of Alma in northern Israel, told Fox News Digital the ‘Lebanese army is not putting much effort into disarming Hezbollah. The outcome of that is good intentions are just words. As a resident of the north, I have not seen any systematic disarmament.’

Edy Cohen, a Lebanese-born Israeli scholar of Hezbollah, told Fox News Digital the ‘Lebanese population does not see Hezbollah as resistance’ because Hezbollah lost its recent war against Israel. He said Hezbollah failed in its efforts to aid Hamas in Gaza to defeat Israel after its Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of the Jewish state.

Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces

The second Iranian-backed proxy is the Shiite militia movement in Iraq. Entifadh Qanbar, a former spokesman for the deputy prime minister of Iraq, told Fox News Digital he believes the Shiite militia will join Iran in the war.

‘Many second-tier Shia leaders, militia lords, as I like to call them, harbor ambitions to rise and challenge the aging top-tier top leadership,’ Qanbar said. ‘They have accumulated enormous wealth, and the only way they can compete with the old guard is by proving to Iran that they are bold, reckless and ready to fight in defense of Tehran.

‘Their ambitions have blinded their rational thinking. These are militia terrorists with little understanding of the outside world, yet they are dangerously overconfident. They are loose cannons, completely out of control, and Iran is prepared to throw them into the fire because they are expendable. That is why you see Kataeb Hezbollah in Iraq issuing threats, while older, more established militias like Hezbollah Lebanon have made it clear they will not participate.’

The pro-Iran Iraqi militia accuses the U.S. of bombing it and pledged a retaliatory response on Saturday. Kataeb Hezbollah said the U.S. is responsible for a strike that targeted an Iraqi military base that houses the Iranian proxy militia. The Iraqi terrorist group says it will ‘soon start assaulting American bases in response to their attacks.’

Houthis

The third wing of the axis of resistance is the Houthi movement in Yemen.

The Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen have decided to resume missile and drone attacks on shipping routes and on Israel in support of Iran, according to two senior Houthi officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because there is no official announcement from the Houthi leadership, according to The Associated Press.

One of the officials said the rebels’ first attack could come as soon as ‘tonight.’ Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip is also part of the axis of resistance and Hamas and Iran are also partners in their campaigns to destroy the Jewish state.

THE Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Ben Rhodes, a leading figure within the Obama administration who pushed for the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, was blasted on social media Saturday after he criticized U.S. military strikes on Iran. 

In the immediate aftermath of the joint attack by the U.S. and Israel, Rhodes was posting criticism of the administration on social media saying that Trump and Netanyahu ‘seem to be totally unconcerned about the human beings – on all sides – who will suffer.’

‘Trump’s second term has been the worst case scenario,’ Rhodes said in another X post. 

Rhodes was quickly ridiculed by many conservatives on social media who pointed to the Obama-era Iran deal as a catalyst for allowing the situation to escalate to this point and placing blame on the Obama administration for not taking the threat from Iran seriously.

‘Yes we were much better off with a president who drew redlines and failed to enforce them,’ American Enterprise Institute fellow and Fox News contributor Marc Thiessen posted on X. ‘Team Obama might want to sit this one out.’

‘Oh look the guy who literally created this mess in the first place has chimed in,’ Republican digital operative Alec Sears posted on X. 

‘You were part of the team who gave billions of dollars to the Iranian Regime – you helped fund this terror on human beings,’ former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell posted on X. ‘Once again, President Trump is cleaning up your mess.’

‘You had eight years to do something on this issue,’ Red State writer Bonchie posted on X. ‘Instead, you became a foreign operative doing everything you could to preserve an Islamist regime.’

‘You put these circumstances in place.’

‘The Obama crew weeps for the mullahs,’ former Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh posted on X. 

‘Ben Rhodes bears responsibility for how America got to this point,’ Middle East geopolitical analyst and Red Ax Strategies President Matthew Brodsky posted on X. ‘He is a spineless agent of influence for the regime in Iran. It’s taken years to undo the damage of his foreign policy.’

On Saturday afternoon, it was reported that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled the Islamic Republic for more than three decades, was killed in the strike against Iran.

Israeli leaders confirmed Khamenei’s compound and offices were reduced to rubble early Saturday after a targeted strike in downtown Tehran.

‘Khamenei was the contemporary Middle East’s longest-serving autocrat. He did not get to be that way by being a gambler. Khamenei was an ideologue, but one who ruthlessly pursued the preservation and protection of his ideology, often taking two steps forward and one step back,’ Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of FDD’s Iran program, told Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital’s Efrat Lachter contributed to this report.

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Iran’s militant and unyielding supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled the Islamic Republic for more than three decades and oversaw an era of harsh internal repression and confrontation with the United States and Israel, has died following the Israeli strike in Tehran, as his compound was reduced to rubble, a senior Israeli official told Fox News Digital.

‘Khamenei was the contemporary Middle East’s longest-serving autocrat. He did not get to be that way by being a gambler. Khamenei was an ideologue, but one who ruthlessly pursued the preservation and protection of his ideology, often taking two steps forward and one step back,’ Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of FDD’s Iran program, told Fox News Digital. 

‘Khamenei’s worldview was shaped by his militant anti-Americanism and antisemitism, which first manifested itself in his protests against the Shah of Iran,’ he added.

Born April 19, 1939, in Mashhad, eastern Iran, Khamenei was among the Islamist activists who played a central role in the 1979 revolution that overthrew the U.S.-backed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. A close ally of Iran’s first supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Khamenei rose through the new system and served as president from 1981 to 1989 before becoming supreme leader after Khomeini’s death that same year.

Decades in power, Khamenei consolidated control over Iran’s political and security system, presiding over repeated crackdowns on dissent and maintaining a hardline posture toward Washington and Jerusalem.

‘Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s rule has been marked by unrelenting brutality and repression, both within Iran and beyond its borders,’ said Lisa Daftari, an expert on Iran and editor-in-chief of The Foreign Desk. She pointed to executions and the enforcement of strict social controls as defining features of the system under Khamenei’s leadership.

His ultra-conservative style of leadership did face challenges, however. In 2009, following disputed elections in which Khamenei declared victory for the incumbent president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, massive protests erupted across the country.

Mass demonstrations also broke out in 2022 after Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, died while detained by the morality police for allegedly wearing her headscarf improperly. The protests were brutally put down, with many of those arrested and put to death by his regime.

In late December, Iran was again rocked by protests and a fierce brutal security response. According to an Iran International investigation, as many as 30,000 people may have been killed across two days, Jan. 8 to 9, 2026.

International monitors and rights groups have repeatedly documented high execution numbers in Iran in recent years as well. Amnesty International said Iranian authorities executed more than 1,000 people in 2025, calling it the highest yearly figure the organization recorded in at least 15 years. Separately, a U.N. report said Iran executed at least 975 people in 2024, the highest number since 2015.

Across the region, Khamenei invested heavily in Iran’s network of allied militias and armed groups, a strategy used to project Iranian power beyond its borders. From the West Bank and Gaza, where he backed terror groups such as Hamas, to Hezbollah in Lebanon and Houthi extremists in Yemen, as well as other militant militias in Iraq, Iran under Khamenei’s spent hundreds of millions of dollars on the terror groups.

However, his prized proxies, as well as the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, collapsed under Israeli military pressure following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. During a 12-day war in June 2025, Israel also succeeded in taking out some of Khamenei’s closest aides and senior security figures, leaving the long-serving leader significantly weakened.

Yet analysts argue that Khamenei’s most enduring legacy may be the institutional machinery he built at home to safeguard the system.

A recent report by United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), authored by Saeid Golkar and Kasra Aarabi, describes the Bayt, the Office of the Supreme Leader, as a parallel structure embedded across Iran’s military, economy, religious institutions and bureaucracy.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Aarabi said, ‘It is the hidden nerve center of the regime in Iran… it operates as a state within a state.’ He argued that even Khamenei’s removal would not necessarily dismantle the system. ‘Even if he is eliminated, the Bayt as an institution enables the Supreme Leader to function,’ Aarabi said, adding, ‘Think of the Supreme Leader as an institution rather than just a single individual.’

Aarabi also warned that ‘eliminating Khamenei in isolation on its own is not enough,’ calling for a broader strategy aimed at the wider apparatus surrounding the supreme leader. ‘You have to dismantle this extensive apparatus that he has created,’ he said.

‘Unlike Khomeini, the founding father of the Islamic Republic, Khamenei institutionalized his power. Today, the Islamic Republic is more a product of Khamenei than Khomeini,’ FDD’s Ben Taleblu added.

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Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Amir-Saeid Iravani condemned U.S. strikes against Iran that targeted the country’s military leadership and killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, calling the attack a double standard and promising the country would defend itself at a U.N. Security Council meeting Saturday.

Iravani accused the U.S. of undermining its claims of pursuing international stability while attacking a sovereign country for its ‘domestic’ activities.

‘Neither the charter nor international law recognize internal matters of a state as justification for the use of force by other states. The rule of law would be replaced by the rule of force,’ Iravani said.

‘Iran will continue to exercise its right of self-defense decisively and without hesitation until the aggression ceases in full and unequivocal terms.’

On Saturday morning, President Donald Trump ordered the execution of Operation Epic Fury, citing Tehran’s continued efforts to develop a nuclear weapon.

‘It has always been the policy of the United States, in particular my administration, that this terrorist regime can never have a nuclear weapon. I’ll say it again. They can never have a nuclear weapon,’ Trump said in remarks about the attack Saturday.

Trump said the strikes were meant to ‘defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime’ and that they had come after Iran had refused to abandon plans to develop nuclear capabilities.

Iravani called the attack a continuation of longstanding U.S. aggression against Iran.

‘Mr. president, this morning the United States regime, jointly and in coordination with the Israeli regime, initiated an unprovoked and premeditated aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran for the second time in recent months,’ Irvani said, referring to strikes the U.S. carried out against its nuclear enrichment sites last year.

‘The president of the United States and the prime minister of the Israeli regime have openly claimed responsibility for this act of aggression and have explicitly articulated regime change as their objective, an unmistakable admission of their intent to violate Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.’

U.N. Ambassador Mike Waltz pushed back on Iravani’s characterizations.

‘For 47 years, the Iranian regime has chanted, quote, ‘Death to America’ at every turn. At every opening, it has sought to eradicate the state of Israel. It has waged an unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder,’ Waltz said.

Iravani did not address the negotiations between the U.S. and Iran on its nuclear development plans.

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New York City’s socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing blowback from conservatives on social media over his post condemning the U.S. attack on Iran that led to the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

On Saturday, as a joint strike on Iran by the United States and Israel was developing, Mamdani blasted the Trump administration’s decision in a post on X that has been viewed roughly 20 million times. 

‘Today’s military strikes on Iran — carried out by the United States and Israel — mark a catastrophic escalation in an illegal war of aggression,’ Mamdani wrote.

‘Bombing cities. Killing civilians. Opening a new theater of war. Americans do not want this. They do not want another war in pursuit of regime change.’

Mamdani said Americans prefer ‘relief from the affordability crisis’ before speaking directly to Iranians in New York City.

‘You are part of the fabric of this city — you are our neighbors, small business owners, students, artists, workers, and community leaders,’ Mamdani said. ‘You will be safe here.’

The post was quickly slammed by conservatives on social media making the case that Mamdani’s response appeared sympathetic to Iran’s brutal regime and pointing to his lack of public reaction to the Iranian protesters killed in recent years.

‘Comrade Mayor is rooting for the Ayatollah,’ GOP Sen. Ted Cruz posted on X. ‘They can chant together.’

‘Do u say anything pro American ?’ Fox News host Brian Kilmeade posted on X. ‘do u know any Iranians – ? they hate @fr_Khamenei they celebrate his death, you should be celebrating his death ! hes killed thousands of American’s and just killed 30k Iranians, did u even say a word about that? You are an embarrassment !! Please quit.’

‘I don’t feel safe in New York listening to someone like you, Mamdani, who sympathizes with the regime that killed more than 30,000 unarmed Iranians in less than 24 hours,’ Iranian American journalist Masih Alinejad posted on X. 

‘We Iranians do not allow you to lecture us about war while you had nothing to say when the Islamic Republic shot schoolgirls and blinded more than 10,000 innocent people in the streets. You were busy celebrating the hijab while women of my beloved country Iran were jailed and raped by Islamic Security forces for removing it. 

‘And NOW you find your voice to defend the regime? No. I will not let you claim the moral high ground. The people of Iran want to be free. Where were you when they needed solidarity?’

‘How is it that you can’t differentiate between good and evil?’ Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman posted on X. ‘Why is this so hard for you?’

‘It takes a particular kind of audacity, or ignorance, for a city mayor to appoint himself the conscience of American foreign policy while his constituents step over garbage on their way to work,’ GOP Rep. Nancy Mace posted on X. ‘History will not remember his bravery. It will not remember him at all.’

‘Iranian New Yorkers are thrilled today and see right through you,’ Republican New York City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino posted on X. 

‘When Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, UAE, Bahrain all support today’s operation eliminating world’s #1 sponsor of terror, but New York City’s Mayor @ZohranMamdani is shilling for Iran,’ Republican New York City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov posted on X. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s office for comment.

Shortly after Mamdani’s post, it was announced by President Trump and Israeli officials that the military operation resulted in Khamenei’s death.

Israeli leaders confirmed Khamenei’s compound and offices were reduced to rubble early Saturday after a targeted strike in downtown Tehran.

‘Khamenei was the contemporary Middle East’s longest-serving autocrat. He did not get to be that way by being a gambler. Khamenei was an ideologue, but one who ruthlessly pursued the preservation and protection of his ideology, often taking two steps forward and one step back,’ Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of FDD’s Iran program, told Fox News Digital.

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