Aluminum prices surged 3.8% to $3,315 per tonne after QatarEnergy halted production following Iranian retaliatory strikes that shuttered its major LNG plant, raising urgent questions about how long the region’s supply disruptions will last. The attacks came after U.S.-Israeli airstrikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, triggering strikes across a region that produces around 8% of global aluminum output, according to ING Research. The most immediate casualty is Qatalum, a joint venture between Qatar’s state aluminum producer and 636,000 tonnes of nameplate capacity, which began a controlled shutdown and said a full restart could take six to twelve months.

Norsk Hydro issued force majeure notices to customers. Emirates Global Aluminium said it was drawing on offshore inventories to manage loading delays.