In keeping with the law of unintended consequences, the US military aggression against Iran has sent the helium market spiralling -- but one century-old company was ready for this exact moment.
There's a technical specification that has become the topic of many high-profile discussions since Iran retaliated against the US strikes by launching attacks on Trump's allies in the Gulf region: 6N. No, it's not the Men's Six Nations Championship -- that wrapped up on the weekend before Iran struck Qatar's Ras Laffan facility on 18 March.
That 6N refers to the six nines that represent semiconductor-grade helium purity; 99.9999%. Only Qatar and the US have the capability of producing party-balloon gas at that level.
read more SA farmers turn to new strategies as war sees fertiliser prices soar May 11, 2026 Research grade, the kind of helium that was the topic of discussion at the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) conference that was held on African soil for the first time in Cape Town this week, is confusingly called 5.5 helium. Five nines followed by the number five; 99.9995%. That's also in short supply for the same reasons.
The point is that helium is an irreplaceable part of many industries, and about a third of the global supply is stuck in the Gulf.
No time like the present
"It is not being...
