Fatih Birol

Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, Paris.

So this supply shock is

three times bigger than the ones that we saw in the 1970s.

Speaking in Canberra, Fatih Birol said 40 energy assets in nine countries have been severely damaged in the war between the US, Israel and Iran.

The head of the International Energy Agency said the resulting oil and gas crisis is already worse than the energy crises of the 1970s.

He added that it's also had a worse effect on gas than the Russia-Ukraine war.

Australia has signed the deal with Singapore to maintain supplies of diesel and gas.

Neighbouring New Zealand says it will temporarily allow imports of fuel meeting Australian standards to give importers access to more options and reduce the risk of disruptions.

For NPR News, I'm Christina Kukola in Melbourne, Australia.

Our world is facing the greatest global energy security challenge in the history.

It is much bigger than what we had in the 1970s, the oil price shocks.

It is also bigger than the natural gas price shock we have experienced after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

And it is not only oil and gas.

fertilizers, petrochemicals, these are all facing major problems.

Iranians haven't been able to speak out or protest freely, and that's what led us here.

War is never a good thing, not for Iran, not for any nation.

There is no Norse this year.

Many people are mourning because two months before the killing of people.

Will you celebrate at all?

No, no, no, no.