BRUSSELS, March 16 - EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday she had discussed with the United Nations the prospect of reopening the Strait of Hormuz to oil and gas shipments by adopting arrangements similar to the Black Sea grain initiative.
Under the Black Sea arrangement, Ukraine is able to export grain, related foodstuffs and fertilizers through the Black Sea while merchant and other civilian vessels are spared attacks by Russian forces. Kallas told officials she had spoken with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres about whether a comparable initiative could be used to unblock the Hormuz route, currently constrained amid the Iran war.
A U.N. spokesperson acknowledged there has been speculation about a potential U.N.-led initiative focused on the strait, but warned that the "stakes are too high," and said the United Nations will continue to work "discreetly." The spokesperson also noted that Guterres was scheduled to travel to Brussels on Tuesday for informal discussions with European officials.
Kallas described the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz as "really dangerous" for energy supplies to Asia, and said it was also creating problems for fertilizer production that could translate into food shortages.
Iran has effectively shut the strait amid the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, now in its third week, according to officials quoted by Kallas. Iranian forces have attacked ships in the narrow channel between Iran and Oman, a disruption that has choked off a fifth of global oil supply and been described as the biggest disruption of its kind.
Within the EU, ministers will also examine whether the mandate of the bloc's small Middle East naval mission, Aspides, could be altered. Aspides currently focuses on protecting vessels in the Red Sea from attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebel group. Kallas said the question of expanding Aspides' role to the Strait of Hormuz would require the backing of member states.
Responding to scepticism from German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul about whether Aspides could be effective in the Hormuz context, Kallas reiterated that any change would depend on securing support from the EU's member states.
The discussions underway reflect efforts by EU leaders and the U.N. to explore measures that would safeguard commercial shipping in a strategically vital waterway while acknowledging the complexities and high risks involved in any international initiative.