Hormuz fertiliser deal needed within weeks, UN official warns

A Hormuz fertiliser deal between the US and Iran must come within weeks or farmers will miss the planting season, an official overseeing the UN plan said.

Jorge Moreira da Silva, a UN Under-Secretary-General, warned that a delay could spark a food crisis across parts of Asia and Africa. “It’s absolutely crucial to get the deal in the next few weeks,” he said.

He gave the interview in Bangkok on Wednesday, where the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank were under way. He also serves as executive director of the United Nations Office for Project Services.

How the Hormuz fertiliser plan works

Back in March, the UN formed a taskforce to get fertiliser moving through the strait. Its scheme is drawn up but not yet running. If Washington and Tehran strike a deal, he said, it could start within a week to 10 days.

Under the proposal, a centre in Oman would log ships and arrange safe transit. Meanwhile, UN monitors posted at Gulf ports would check what goes on board, working with local officials.

According to Moreira da Silva, as few as five ships daily could meet the needs of the worst-hit countries. Monitors would follow each vessel on its route, and states could seek further checks if worried.

Why the Hormuz fertiliser route matters

Before the fighting, roughly one in three tonnes of internationally traded urea passed through the strait. Urea is the most common fertiliser on the planet.

The route also carried close to half of all sulphur shipped by sea, another vital farm input, as well as huge volumes of oil.

Yet Gulf fertiliser exports have barely resumed. More than six months into the war, they remained mostly frozen, a Washington-based food policy institute found last month.

A prolonged blockage could have severe effects on food costs. According to an August study by the International Chamber of Commerce, cereals could cost up to 81% more, oil crops 66% more and animal products 30% more.

“If we miss that planting season, the productivity of agriculture would significantly drop,” Moreira da Silva said.

Talks stall over the strait

Since the US and Israeli strikes of February 28, Iran has used its control of the waterway as leverage. At the same time, Washington has enforced a naval blockade of Iranian ports.

Any Hormuz fertiliser corridor would need consent from both governments. Indirect contacts have continued since a temporary ceasefire broke down in June. However, progress has stalled, with Iran setting conditions and the US pressing for early talks on Iran’s nuclear programme.

Responding to questions, a State Department spokesman said US forces had escorted thousands of merchant ships through the strait. “The United States will continue to take decisive action,” he said.

Moreira da Silva argued that the Hormuz fertiliser scheme could proceed while wider talks go on. “Let us work, let us do our job,” he said.

He also noted that attacks on cargo ships in the Black Sea and Houthi strikes in the Red Sea add to the danger. “What we are witnessing now is a concentration of factors,” he said.