Global famine fears rise as Hormuz crisis threatens ‘eight-year' Suez-scale disruption

Analysts pass planetary famine fears are rising arsenic nutrient prices ascent and fragile proviso chains strain amid the Strait of Hormuz crisis, raising the hazard of a prolonged, Suez-scale, eight-year disruption.

As the struggle entered Day 62, the U.S. maintained its naval blockade of postulation entering and exiting Iranian ports, portion Iran continued to efficaciously adjacent the Strait.

"Best case, determination is an statement betwixt the U.S. and Iran wrong the adjacent fewer weeks, and the Strait reopens," Lars Jensen, CEO and spouse astatine Vespucci Maritime, told Fox News Digital.

 "— and it has to beryllium a woody wherever determination is spot that Iran is sufficiently satisfied with the woody specified that they bash not abruptly adjacent the strait again," helium said.

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A cargo vessel sails successful the Persian Gulf toward the Strait of Hormuz connected April 22, 2026. (AP Photo)

 "Even successful that case, it volition inactive instrumentality months for the proviso chains to revert backmost to normality."

President Donald Trump announced connected April 21 that helium would hold renewed strikes connected Iran until it presents a connection for semipermanent peace, efficaciously extending a 14-day ceasefire indefinitely. 

Trump said Washington’s blockade of Iranian ports has been effective, urging Tehran to "just springiness up" arsenic tensions escalate implicit the waterway.

"Worst case, we tin look astatine the eight-year closure of the Suez Canal from 1967 to 1975," Jensen said.

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The SKS Doyles crude lipid tanker moves on the Suez Canal towards Ismailia successful Suez, Egypt, connected Dec. 21, 2023, amid a crisp diminution successful tanker postulation done the Red Sea owed to attacks disrupting planetary commercialized routes. (Stringer/Bloomberg)

"Despite its value to the planetary economy, it proved intolerable to reopen the canal for these 8 years," helium said.

The Suez Canal, unopen from 1967 to 1975 aft the Arab-Israeli conflict, has faced recurring disruption including Red Sea attacks since 2023—driving up security costs, creating a "shadow blockade," and curbing traffic.

For Hormuz, Jensen says fertilizer—central to cultivation production—is the astir captious factor, and immoderate sustained disruption could rapidly ripple done planetary nutrient systems.

"Fertilizer is the astir important element. Thirty percent of the world’s seaborne fertilizer comes from the Persian Gulf," Jensen said. "Fertilizer prices are already rising fast," helium warned.

IRAN FIRES LIVE MISSILES INTO STRAIT OF HORMUZ AS TRUMP ENVOYS ARRIVE FOR NUCLEAR TALKS

A vessel is seen passing done the Strait of Hormuz during a two-week impermanent ceasefire betwixt the United States and Iran connected April 8, 2026. (Shady Alassar/Anadolu/Getty Images)

 "In affluent countries, it means much costly nutrient travel harvest season, and successful mediocre countries, it means that farmers close present cannot spend fertilizer," Jensen added.

 "This volition pb to the harvest being little aboriginal successful the season, starring to accelerated increases successful nutrient prices successful precise mediocre countries — and specified a concern increases the hazard of famine and conflict."

Diplomatic efforts stay fragile betwixt the U.S. and Iran arsenic of Thursday, with constricted signs of progress.

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According to reports, a elephantine banner hangs connected a gathering successful Tehran’s cardinal Enqelab Square declaring, "The Strait of Hormuz volition stay closed; the full Persian Gulf is our hunting ground."

"Cargo vessels are not going done for the elemental crushed that commercialized companies bash not privation to spot their seafarers perchance killed," Jensen added.