Helium Prices Up 40% as Iran Conflict Shuts Down a Third of Global Supply

Helium spot prices jumped 40% as the Iran conflict removes about one-third of global supply, MarketWatch reports (Aug. 30, 2026). Qatar's Ras Laffan plant, where helium is a byproduct of LNG output, sits idle; the Strait of Hormuz stays blocked. Qatar supplies 64.7% of US helium imports ($226.9M). Dollar Tree balloons, chipmaking, and MRIs all feel the squeeze. Six months in, no end in sight.