Failure to activate Hormuz fertilizer plan could trigger food crisis, UN official says

A UN official warns that failure by the US and Iran to agree within weeks on a plan to move fertilizer through the Strait of Hormuz could cause a food security crisis in Asia and Africa. The UN mechanism could be activated within 7-10 days of an agreement, but negotiations have stalled.

A senior UN official has warned that failure by the United States and Iran to reach an agreement within weeks on a UN-backed plan to move fertilizer through the Strait of Hormuz could trigger a food security crisis in parts of Asia and Africa. UN Under-Secretary-General Jorge Moreira da Silva said the proposed mechanism could be activated within 7-10 days of an agreement between Washington and Tehran, but stressed that time is running out before the planting season. The UN set up a taskforce in March to facilitate fertilizer passage through the strait, but the mechanism has yet to be implemented. Negotiations have stalled over Iran's conditions and the US insistence on addressing Iran's nuclear program from the outset. The proposed operation would use a coordination center in Oman to register vessels and coordinate safe passage, with UN monitors verifying cargo loading. If the disruption continues, commodity prices could rise by up to 81% for cereals, according to an International Chamber of Commerce report. The crisis is compounded by deteriorating situations in the Black Sea region and Red Sea shipping routes.