Iran war threatens global helium supply

As Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East stretches into its fourth week, attention remains firmly on the rising costs of crude oil and LNG.

But a bottleneck in the supply chain of another gas is causing alarm for industries across health, technology and manufacturing - helium.

And it's not party balloons affected.

The gas is critical in the operation of MRI machines, welding and the production of semiconductors - which power everything from your smart phone to electric vehicles and artificial intelligence tools.

And unlike our local gas and oil industries, Australia relies solely on global imports.

• Guest: Phil Kornbluth, global helium consultant
• Producer: Grace Stranger