Highland Critical Minerals Corp. Comments on Recent Market Activity

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 8, 2026) - Highland Critical Minerals Corp. (CSE: HLND) (FSE: U8X0) ("Highland Critical" or the "Company") announces that at the request of CIRO, the Company wishes to confirm that the Company's management is unaware of any material change in the Company's operations that would account for the recent increase in market activity.

This news release may contain assumptions, estimates, and other forward-looking statements regarding future events. Such forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties and are subject to factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control that may cause actual results or performance to differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements.

The Canadian Securities Exchange 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 primarily engaged in the acquisition and exploration of mining properties. The Company currently focuses its activities on mineral exploration in Ontario, Canada. Its activities consist of acquiring and exploring mining properties to enhance shareholder value as it proceeds with exploration work on the Church Property and Sy Property, along with other mining properties it may acquire and develop. For more information, please visit www.highlandcritical.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements in this news 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 related to: the anticipated timing, scope and nature of the Company's summer exploration program on the Church Property, including the completion of a radiometric and LIDAR geophysical survey and a sampling program; the expected timing of commencement of the exploration program; the expectation that exploration expenditures will qualify as eligible flow-through expenditures; and the Company's plans to identify and potentially acquire additional property interests.