Iran crisis could disrupt supply of key chipmaking materials, South Korea warns

try{ var _=i o; . if(!_||_&&typeof _==="object"&&_.expiry Oil prices jump over 3% as Middle East war escalates, fuels supply fears Iran conflict latest: Hegseth says Iran conflict has "only just begun" Gold prices rebound from previous session’s hefty drop, helped by weaker dollar Nasdaq ends more than 1% higher as solid economic data lifts spirits (South Africa Philippines Nigeria) Iran crisis could disrupt supply of key chipmaking materials, South Korea warns By Economy Published 03/05/2026, 12:31 AM Updated 03/05/2026, 12:36 AM Iran crisis could disrupt supply of key chipmaking materials, South Korea warns 0 MSFT 0.31% AMZN 3.88% NVDA 1.66% 000660 13.78% 005930 12.25% GFS 0.74% By Heejin Kim and Hyunjoo Jin SEOUL, March 5 - The U.S.-Israel war with Iran could disrupt supplies of key semiconductor manufacturing materials, a South Korean ruling party lawmaker said on Tuesday, as the conflict in the Middle East entered its sixth day. South Korea’s chip industry, which supplies around two-thirds of the global memory chips, is also concerned that a prolonged conflict in Iran will lead to higher energy costs and prices, Kim Young-bae said after meeting with executives from companies such as Samsung Electronics and trade groups. "Officials raised a possibility that semiconductor production could be disrupted if some of these key materials cannot be sourced from the Middle East," he said at a briefing with reporters, adding South Korean firms source some key chip-making materials such as helium from the Middle East. Helium is essential for heat management during semiconductor production and it has no viable alternatives currently. It is only produced in a handful of countries, with Qatar and the U.S. among the leading players in the industry. The caution comes as chipmakers grapple with severe supply bottlenecks due to surging chip demand from AI data center operators that has tightened supplies to many other industries including smartphones, laptops and automobiles. Sou...