UN Food Agency Issues Warning on Extended Strait of Hormuz Closure

‘If we don’t accelerate ... the risks will exacerbate,’ a U.N. official said.

An India-flagged tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas that transited the Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran war remains docked at an offloading terminal in Mumbai, India, on April 1, 2026. Punit Paranjpe/AFP via Getty Images

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned on April 13 that ships with agricultural products must be allowed to transit through the disputed Strait of Hormuz, saying a protracted closure could trigger spikes in inflation later in 2026.

“The clock is ticking,” FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero said, according to a U.N. statement, noting that poorer nations could be at risk of not being able to obtain scarce fertilizer and energy inputs due to the strait’s effective closure.