HOUSTON, May 1 : U.S. exports of liquefied natural gas to Asia jumped in April, with American producers helping offset reduced supplies from Middle Eastern exporters as the Iran war curtailed output in the region, preliminary ship-tracking data from financial firm LSEG showed. Nearly a quarter of all U.S. LNG exports went to Asia during the month, marking a sharp increase since the conflict began in late February and underscoring the growing role of the U.S. as a swing supplier amid elevated prices and strained global gas flows. Shipments to Asia have risen more than 175 per cent since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, climbing from about 970,000 metric tons in February to 1.99 million metric tons (MT) in March and 2.71 MT in April, the data show. Asian spot LNG prices remained elevated. The Japan Korea Marker benchmark averaged $17.92 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) in April, down slightly from $18.27 in March but still about 17 per cent above Europe’s TTF benchmark, which averaged $15.34 per mmBtu in April, down …