A military simulation organized by the Pentagon in July 2024 revealed that the U.S. supply chain for high-purity aluminum, a metal essential for fighter jets and armored vehicles, presents a critical vulnerability. The United Arab Emirates supplies approximately 90% of U.S. imports of this material, amounting to between 75,000 and 85,000 metric tons per year. Seven months after this war game, Iranian drone strikes damaged facilities in the UAE and Bahrain, driving aluminum prices to a four-year high. The sole large-scale U.S. producer of high-purity aluminum, Century Aluminum, ceased operations in 2022 due to soaring energy costs, leaving the United States entirely dependent on foreign suppliers.
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