Highland Critical Minerals Corp. Provides Operational Update

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 18, 2025) - Highland Critical Minerals Corp. (CSE: HLND) (FSE: U8X) ("Highland" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has engaged a third-party geologist to design and evaluate an exploration program in the Red Lake Gold Camp located in the Red Lake Gold District of Ontario (the "Red Lake Gold Camp"). As previously announced on July 11, 2025, the Company, through it's wholly owned subsidiary Highland Red Lake Gold Corp. ("Highland Red Lake") entered into an option agreement to earn a 100% interest in mining claims on the Red Lake Gold Camp, comprised of 3,366 hectares of mining claims.

The Company expects Highland Red Lake's expanded summer exploration program to include an additional $150,000 in exploration expenditures focussed on the Red Lake Gold Camp. It is anticipated that the exploration work would be focussed on demonstrating lode gold potential through mapping, prospecting and rock sampling, airborne magnetics and soil survey locations to evaluate till covered terrain for the lode gold structure relationships. The Company expects the work to begin by the end of the month, with the objective to complete the program before year end.

This expanded summer exploration project on the Red Lake Gold Camp is in addition to the previously announced summer lithium exploration on the Company's Church Property in the Quetico District of Ontario, Canada (the "Church Property") consisting of a mobile metal ions soil sampling program designed to identify lithium anomalies on areas of the Church Property where field crews have established there is no exposed bedrock. The Church Property is strategically located in a lithium-rich area, surrounded by high-grade pegmatite projects, with significant infrastructure to support exploration and development.

Ted Yew, Director and Chief Executive Officer of Highland commented, "We are extremely pleased with our most recent developments including the acquisition of the Sy property located in the Yathkyed Lake Greenstone Belt in Nunavut, Canada and the completion of the option agreement in the Red Lake Gold Camp, reportedly one of the most prolific gold districts in the world. With these two new highly prospective gold properties located in two established gold production areas of Canada we are hopeful that continued exploration work would result in future gold discoveries. In the meantime, our exploration program at the Church property continues and we are looking forward to providing further updates in the upcoming weeks."

The CSE has not in any way passed upon the merits of the matters referenced herein and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

ABOUT HIGHLAND CRITICAL MINERALS CORP.

Highland is a mineral exploration and development company. Its activities consist of acquiring and exploring, mining properties to enhance shareholder value as it proceeds with the exploration work on the Church Property among other mining properties it may acquire and develop.

For more information, please visit https://highlandcritical.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Management cautions that past results or discoveries on properties near Highland's may not necessarily indicate mineralization on the Company's property.

This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this new release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's plans, expectations, and anticipated activities with respect to the Company's planned exploration programs on the Red Lake Gold Camp and Church Property, anticipated exploration expenditures, potential for mineralization or discovery, the Company's future exploration and development activities, and the timing and focus of planned work.

Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward- looking statements. The Company has applied several material assumptions in making such forward-looking statements, including without limitation: the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development; the Company's ability to secure additional financing on acceptable terms, or at all; risks related to unanticipated operational or technical difficulties; changes in exploration plans due to a variety of contingencies; the interpretation and actual results of current and future exploration activities; risks relating to government regulation and permits, environmental laws, changes in commodity prices, and general economic, financial, market, and business conditions; the possibility of cost overruns, unforeseen liabilities, and other related risks; and general economic, market, and business conditions.

Forward-looking information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include risks relating to: the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development; the availability of financing; the results, timing, and success of exploration activities; the results of third-party evaluations; changes in project plans as contingencies arise; unanticipated operational difficulties; interpretation and actual results of exploration activities may differ from expectations; regulatory and permitting approvals; and general economic, market, and business conditions; risks relating to the mining industry; and other risk factors discussed in the Company's long-form prospectus dated May 9, 2025. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

Disclaimer
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, including the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), or any securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States unless registered under the 1933 Act and any applicable securities laws of any state of the United States or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements is available.

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