Helium Prices Jump 40% as Iran Conflict Blocks a Third of World Supply

Helium prices surged 40% as the Iran conflict cuts off about a third of world supply, MarketWatch reports (Aug. 30, 2026). Qatar, the top US supplier at 64.7% of imports worth $226.9M, can't ship helium — a gas extracted alongside natural gas — because its plant is idle and the shipping route is blocked. Balloon sales, computer chips, and hospital MRI machines all face shortages. Six months on, no fix is in view.