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

Analysts pass world famine fears are rising arsenic food prices climb and vulnerable proviso chains strain amid nan Strait of Hormuz crisis, raising nan consequence of a prolonged, Suez-scale, eight-year disruption.

As nan conflict entered Day 62, nan U.S. maintained its naval blockade of traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports, while Iran continued to efficaciously adjacent nan Strait.

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

 "— and it has to beryllium a woody wherever location is spot that Iran is sufficiently satisfied pinch nan woody specified that they do not abruptly adjacent nan strait again," he said.

AIRLINES MAY CUT FLIGHT SCHEDULES AS IRAN TENSIONS DRIVE UP FUEL COSTS, EXPERTS WARN

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

 "Even successful that case, it will still return months for nan proviso chains to revert backmost to normality."

President Donald Trump announced connected April 21 that he 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 complete nan waterway.

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

ISRAELI OFFICIALS REPORTEDLY WARN IRAN'S BALLISTIC MISSILES COULD TRIGGER SOLO MILITARY ACTION AGAINST TEHRAN

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

"Despite its importance to nan world economy, it proved intolerable to reopen nan canal for these 8 years," he said.

The Suez Canal, unopen from 1967 to 1975 aft nan 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 nan astir captious factor, and immoderate sustained disruption could quickly ripple done world nutrient systems.

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

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

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

 "In able countries, it intends much costly nutrient travel harvest season, and successful mediocre countries, it intends that farmers correct now cannot spend fertilizer," Jensen added.

 "This will lead to nan harvest being little later successful nan season, starring to accelerated increases successful nutrient prices successful very mediocre countries — and specified a business increases nan consequence of famine and conflict."

Diplomatic efforts stay vulnerable betwixt nan U.S. and Iran arsenic of Thursday, pinch constricted signs of progress.

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

"Cargo vessels are not going done for nan elemental logic that commercialized companies do not want to spot their seafarers perchance killed," Jensen added.