A failure by the United States and Iran to agree within weeks on a UN-backed plan for moving fertiliser through the Strait of Hormuz could cause a food security crisis in parts of Asia and Africa, an official overseeing the proposed scheme says, Reuters reports.
“It’s absolutely crucial to get the deal in the next few weeks. Otherwise, we will miss the planting season,” he said in an interview in Bangkok, on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meetings.
In response to questions from Reuters, a US State Department spokesman said the US military has assisted thousands of commercial vessels with transiting the strait.
“The United States will continue to take decisive action against Iran’s attempts to disrupt freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and hold the global economy hostage,” he said.
