GENEVA, April 13 - A United Nations-led diplomatic effort is in motion to put in place a mechanism that would secure the transit of fertiliser shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, the U.N. said on Monday, as those close to the talks warn shortages are becoming acute.
The initiative has been driven by concern that disruption to shipping along the strait, after six weeks of fighting that began with U.S.-Israeli joint strikes on Iran and spread to Lebanon and the Gulf, has already killed thousands and upset global supply chains following a near-total stoppage of vessels using the waterway.
The situation escalated further when the U.S. military announced it will begin a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas on Monday, a move the U.S. said followed failed weekend talks to end the conflict and undermined a fragile two-week ceasefire.
A source familiar with the U.N.-led discussions said there is mounting urgency to secure a functional arrangement. The source noted farmers in parts of Latin America have begun skipping second corn plantings, and African growers face a narrowing window to apply fertilisers before severe yield losses become likely.
Juliette Touma, director of communications for the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), said extensive meetings have taken place in New York over the past two weeks to shape how the mechanism would operate and to coordinate with relevant member states. Those discussions are being led by Jorge Moreira da Silva, executive director of UNOPS, Touma said.
The proposed mechanism aims to enable the safe transit of commercial vessels carrying fertilisers and related materials through the Strait of Hormuz and to reduce potential humanitarian impacts on nations in Asia and Africa that rely on imported fertiliser.
The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization has warned that tanker traffic has fallen by more than 90 percent, a reduction that threatens agricultural output and global food security, according to U.N. statements.
Businesses engaged in affected trade have expressed interest in a solution that would restore freedom of navigation without imposing the need for naval escorts or introducing tolls, a person familiar with the discussions said. That source added the arrangement could be expanded over time to cover other categories of goods if successfully implemented.
The U.N.-led effort is focused on designing both the technical and operational aspects of a mechanism that can function amid military and diplomatic volatility. The scale of disruption to shipping and the consequential risk to fertiliser-dependent crop cycles has prompted repeated talks among member states in New York as planners seek a workable, non-military route for resuming critical commercial flows.
While details remain under negotiation, U.N. officials say the objective is to strike a balance between ensuring safe passage for commercial cargoes and avoiding actions that could further militarise transit through one of the world’s most strategically sensitive waterways.
The urgency conveyed by officials and sources underlines the potential short-term consequences for agricultural production in regions that rely heavily on timely fertiliser deliveries, and the knock-on effects for global food supplies if disruptions persist.