The war in Iran is choking supplies of helium, vital for technologies from AI chatbots to MRI scanners.

The gas is the second-most abundant substance in the universe, but rare on Earth; it is so light that it escapes into space easily, and is only produced here by radioactive decay. Supercooled liquid helium allows superconducting magnets — such as in MRIs — to work, and maintains stable temperatures for chipmaking; it has few natural substitutes.

Much of what does exist comes from gas fields in the Gulf, and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz and damage to Qatari infrastructure have cut exports. Prices have already risen and some producers are unable to fulfill orders, The Wall Street Journal reported.