Helium Shortage Deepens as Iran-Qatar Conflict Disrupts Global Supply Chain

Seven months into the Iran-Qatar conflict, the world’s helium supply faces a severe shortage. Iranian attacks on the Ras Laffan gas complex in Qatar, combined with the February closure of the Strait of Hormuz, stranded roughly one-third of global helium in the Persian Gulf and damaged the plant that extracts the gas as a by-product of natural gas. The majority of helium is sourced from Qatar and a single U.S. facility in Wyoming; since the war began, U.S. exports have risen 70 % but cannot offset the shortfall indefinitely.

Spot prices have tripled, prompting companies in South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore to turn to the United States, while suppliers draw on underground salt-cavern reserves and impose rationing. The scarcity threatens sectors that rely on helium, including medical imaging, semiconductor manufacturing, and defense weapons development, with experts warning that continued conflict could further disrupt production.