Helium Supply Faces Major Global Disruption

Earlier this month, Iranian drone and missile strikes on Qatar’s Ras Laffan—responsible for about 30–35% of global helium—shut facilities and removed nearly one-third of worldwide supply, while Strait of Hormuz disruptions forced longer shipping routes. Because liquid helium suffers boil-off in transit and cannot be manufactured at scale, analysts warn of shortages affecting MRI availability, semiconductor fabs and aerospace supply chains across major importers.