A UN official said failure by the United States and Iran to agree within weeks on a plan to move fertilizer through the Strait of Hormuz could cause a food security crisis in parts of Asia and Africa. The mechanism could be activated within 7-10 days of an agreement; prolonged disruption could raise cereal prices by up to 81%.
The United Nations set up a taskforce in March to facilitate fertilizer passage through the Strait of Hormuz, but its proposed mechanism has not been implemented. UN Under-Secretary-General Jorge Moreira da Silva said it could be activated within 7-10 days of an agreement between Washington and Tehran, and warned that missing the planting season could significantly reduce agricultural productivity and increase prices.
Conflict has largely halted fertilizer shipments out of the Gulf region. Before the war, the waterway handled roughly a third of globally traded urea and nearly half of seaborne sulphur, a key fertilizer input. An August report by the International Chamber of Commerce said continued disruption could raise prices by up to 81% for cereals, 66% for oil crops and 30% for animal products.
The proposed operation would use a coordination centre in Oman to register vessels and organize safe passage, with UN monitors verifying cargo at Gulf ports. Moreira da Silva said just five vessels per day could keep fertilizer supplies flowing to countries in critical need. He said the mechanism could operate alongside negotiations toward a broader agreement.
