A Middle East ceasefire signals de-escalation, but the conflict has scarred the global LNG industry, denting confidence in Gulf suppliers and raising doubts among Asian buyers, particularly poorer countries, over the fuel reliability and affordability, a top industry executive has said, Reuters reports.

“This was not a supply crisis. This was a supply chain crisis,” said Menelaos Ydreos, secretary general of the International Gas Union, which has more than 140 members worldwide, representing more than 90 per cent of the world’s gas market.

“Where you have choke points, and you have geopolitical events that occur, it impacts security of supply,” he said.

Global gas supply remains ample. But LNG depends on complex infrastructure, specialised ships and predictable transit routes. When those are disrupted, cargoes flow to buyers able to pay more, leaving poorer importers exposed, he said.

That dynamic is critical for Asia, where LNG demand growth has relied on the fuel’s reputation as a stable bridge away from coal.