UN Chief Proposes Emergency Mechanism to Safeguard Fertilizer Supply Through Strait of Hormuz Amid Global Conflict

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres proposed a new mechanism on Monday to maintain the flow of fertilizer and other essential goods through the Strait of Hormuz. The UN chief issued this warning as traffic through one of the world's most critical shipping lanes has nearly halted due to conflicts driving up global energy and food costs.

Addressing reporters in New York, Mr Guterres noted that oil prices remain approximately 33 per cent higher than at the beginning of the conflict, while global container rates have surged 84 per cent over the past year. Costs for fertilizers and other vital inputs are also escalating rapidly. “These crises are choking arteries of global trade and squeezing the global food system especially hard,” Mr Guterres stated, pointing to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, and shipping lanes impacted by the war in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump declared on Monday that Iran was “collapsing” as Washington prepared to unveil details of a new economic pressure campaign. Data from maritime tracker Kpler shows that the US naval blockade of Iran has caused Tehran's oil exports via the Strait of Hormuz to plummet from two million barrels per day before the war to just 0.4 million by mid-August.

As a vital energy chokepoint, the Strait of Hormuz handles about a quarter of the world's seaborne oil trade alongside substantial shipments of liquefied natural gas and fertilizers. These disruptions have worsened as diplomatic efforts to resolve the US-Iran conflict remain stalled. Tehran continues its blockade of the strait—a restriction not in place before the conflict—which is fueling global inflation and raising domestic pressure on Mr Trump ahead of the November midterm elections.

Mr Guterres announced that a UN task force established in March has developed a time-bound, confidence-building mechanism centered initially on fertilizers and related raw materials, with potential expansion to other goods. Serving as a neutral facilitator, the UN aims through this initiative to mitigate immediate risks and foster more orderly and predictable transit through the Strait of Hormuz. He emphasized that the framework would not authorize passage through the strait or alter the rights and obligations of states under international law.

“It can be operationalised quickly,” Mr Guterres added, noting that all involved parties possess a detailed understanding of the proposed operational mechanics. The UN chief also urged an immediate halt to attacks on commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the Black Sea, cessation of assaults on shipping in the Red Sea and around the Bab Al Mandeb, and the full reinstatement of navigational rights in Hormuz.

“Maritime chokepoints must never become instruments of coercion,” he cautioned. “And the world's food supply must never become collateral damage of conflict.”