The United Nations (UN) is promoting a proposal to open a humanitarian corridor that allows the passage of fertilizers and other essential products through the Strait of Hormuz, which has remained practically blocked since the start of the Israeli and US war against Iran. This plan, to which France 24 has had access, has not yet been approved by several countries.

First modification: 04/22/2026 - 20:49

The Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, has not yet achieved full support for his proposal to guarantee the safe passage of ships carrying fertilizers and other agricultural products through the currently blocked Strait of Hormuz. The initiative, announced on March 27, would involve the creation of a UN working group in charge of guaranteeing safe, orderly and predictable maritime transit despite the conflict in the region.

The UN has warned that millions of people could suffer acute hunger if the disruption continues, as the blockade is affecting vulnerable countries such as Sudan and Somalia, which rely heavily on fertilizers for their planting season.

An internal document seen by France 24 and PassBlue sets out a humanitarian framework, proposed at the end of March, for how the UN group tasked with opening the cross-strait fertilizer corridor would work, regardless of the conflict.

According to the document called the "UN Operational Mechanism for the Strait of Hormuz" and a map detailing the "optimized" trade route, ships wishing to use the route would be required to submit vessel information to an online database.

UN observers deployed in the ports of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Iran would be responsible for verifying the cargo. Authorized vessels would then proceed to designated coordination areas in international waters near the strait before being cleared for transit.

The mechanism would operate in two phases: the first, focused on facilitating the export of fertilizers and related raw materials from Gulf ports. The operation would later be expanded to other imports of essential commodities in the region. The initiative, however, does not establish a timetable for its implementation. The UN stated that it could be launched within seven days.

Read alsoAttacks and seizures: Hormuz consolidates itself as the new battlefield after extension of the truce

Iran says "UN ships are allowed to pass"

The success of the plan depends largely on winning the support of, first and foremost, Iran, as well as the United States and the Gulf countries that have been drawn into the war by Tehran's retaliatory attacks following the incitement of war by the United States and Israel on February 28.

But it remains unclear whether the UN will gain the support of key parties in the war. Iran oscillates between closing, reopening or restricting passage through the strait, in response to the ongoing US naval blockade of its ports. The sea route has been practically closed since the beginning of March and the situation remains very volatile.

To display this YouTube content, you must allow advertising and audience measurement cookies.

An extension on your browser appears to be blocking the video player from loading. In order to view this content, you must disable it on this site.

On April 21, Iran's envoy to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, told FRANCE 24 and PassBlue that his country supports the United Nations initiative. "Any UN ship can pass through the Strait of Hormuz, there is no problem with that," he said. "Not only for the transportation of fertilizers, but also for oil and gas. All countries can apply to the competent authority [in Iran] and obtain permission. Only aggressor countries... do not have permission to pass. All UN ships have permission to pass."

He also noted that the continuation of talks between Iranians and Americans in Islamabad depends on the US ending its naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that the US has agreed to do so privately, but not publicly. "We have received some signals that they are willing to (lift) the blockade, and as soon as they do that, I think the next round of negotiations will take place in Islamabad."

Read alsoWorld food prices rose in March and reflect the effects of the war

Mixed reception

The initiative is receiving some public support, such as that of the European Union. Indonesia described the plan as an interim step that can mitigate global energy and food insecurity. But Kuwait, speaking at a General Assembly session on April 16 on behalf of its Gulf neighbors — Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar — as well as Jordan, made no mention of Guterres' proposal. Lack of public commitment could be interpreted as a lack of support.

The United States mission to the UN has been informed of the initiative, but has not given any response. US Ambassador Mike Waltz stated during the Assembly session that the Trump Administration is committed to ensuring that food aid, fertilizers, energy supplies and commercial goods can move freely through the waterways of the Persian Gulf without threats or attacks, but he did not say a word about Guterres' mechanism. Neither did Israel in its statements.

Jorge Moreira da Silva, executive director of the UN Project Services Office – the agency in charge of the Hormuz task force – told FRANCE 24 and PassBlue: "I have held numerous meetings in New York over the past few weeks with the relevant Member States. In these meetings I have shared more information on the design and implementation of the Strait of Hormuz Mechanism. It aims to facilitate the transit of commercial vessels carrying fertilizers and related material out of the Gulf."

Although Secretary-General Guterres chose da Silva, a former Portuguese political colleague, to lead the operational section of the plan, he appointed veteran French diplomat Jean Arnault, his personal envoy for the Middle East conflict, to head the diplomatic arm.

The UN Strait of Hormuz initiative is intended to lay the groundwork for the organization's broader push for peace in the region, diplomats say. Arnault was in Oman last week, having just left Egypt and is reportedly now headed to Islamabad, although according to the UN he will not be directly involved in any US-Iran ceasefire negotiations held there.

Its goal is to obtain a firm commitment from several key nations that, until now, have remained mostly silent on the UN initiative. Although da Silva did not reveal how countries reacted, he added that the main objective of the mechanism "is to mitigate the humanitarian impact of the Middle East conflict, particularly on vulnerable populations in countries affected by disruptions in fertilizer supplies and agricultural supply chains. This would mainly affect fertilizer-dependent countries, especially in Asia and the African continent."

A race against time

Time is of the essence, as the planting season extends until the end of May. The World Food Program (WFP) warned on March 17 that 45 million people could face hunger if the strait remains closed. Currently, between 10% and 12% of global fertilizer supplies are blocked, according to the UN.

"If this conflict continues, it will have repercussions around the world, and families who can no longer afford their next meal will be the most affected," warned Carl Skau, WFP deputy executive director and chief operating officer. "Without an adequately funded humanitarian response, this could spell catastrophe for millions of people already on the brink."

The UN stresses that this plan focuses exclusively on food security, and the proposal also reflects Guterres' attempts to mediate a humanitarian project in the troubled Gulf region during the last year of his ten-year mandate.

"Unlike grain crises, the impact of interruptions in fertilizer supplies is delayed, but more structural," reads the internal UN document, which underlines the need to restore the flow of fertilizers through the Strait of Hormuz.

"Reduced availability and rising costs will translate into lower agricultural yields in upcoming planting cycles, increasing the likelihood of sustained food price inflation and increased humanitarian needs."

Industry sources suggest that Saudi Arabia accounts for up to 46% of the Gulf countries' total fertilizer production, followed by Qatar, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. Sudan and Somalia import a large percentage of their fertilizers from Gulf countries, according to the UN.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) states that a third of global maritime fertilizer trade passes through the Strait of Hormuz. One of the conditions for the plan to work is that the parties to the conflict – Iran, the United States and the Gulf countries – provide full access to ships transporting fertilizers or agricultural products, regardless of their origin or destination, that is, without distinction of flag. This is a crucial hurdle for the UN team created by Guterres to overcome.

"The talks are obviously quite delicate when you're trying to implement this type of mechanism in a conflict zone," Guterres spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told PassBlue during the daily press briefing on April 16, referring to the Strait of Hormuz proposal. "There's been very positive reactions, but obviously all the pieces of the puzzle need to fit together so that we can, let's say, talk a little more openly about it," he added.

Great unrest among Gulf countries

Jamal Fares Alrowaiei, Bahrain's permanent representative to the UN, questioned the mechanism for the Strait of Hormuz, stating that it is not a comprehensive response to insecurity in the maritime route. Bahrain, a small island country situated between Iran and Saudi Arabia, has found itself cornered as it tries to defend itself from Iran's violent retaliation and curfews imposed on fishing and recreational vessels in the surrounding coastal waters, in effect until further notice.

“The proposed initiative addresses important operational aspects, but does not fully address the current threats to the security of maritime navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, which require an immediate response,” Alrowaiei told PassBlue in early April, when Bahrain assumed his role as rotating president of the UN Security Council. "Its scope remains limited, focusing on specific categories of goods and not others, rather than comprehensively addressing maritime security."

Other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are concerned that such an agreement, signed directly with the UN, could give Iran official recognition or some degree of authority over the strait, something they strongly oppose. Furthermore, there is little incentive to fight for a fertilizer corridor when the main concern of those in the region is the export of oil and gas.

A Gulf diplomat chastised Guterres in his conference room earlier this month for introducing the proposal without consulting the Gulf country he represents, several diplomats told PassBlue. They also say that some countries in the region might prefer to prevent the UN from interfering in the Strait, where it could act as a neutral witness to what happens there.

The United Nations task force for the Strait of Hormuz project would establish a joint coordination center in Salalah, Oman, composed of civil and military representatives of the relevant Member States, along with UN officials. The center would facilitate the real-time coordination of the passage of ships through the sea route in order to avoid conflicts or accidents.

“These corridors are based on established principles of international humanitarian law and have been supported by the United Nations in crises around the world,” said Kelly Razzouk, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at the International Rescue Committee. "Ensuring humanitarian access is a legal and moral obligation shared by both belligerent and non-belligerent parties."

As the UN seeks a short-term solution to avoid a global food crisis, sources within the organization fear that the war will be prolonged and that civilians will be the most affected.

"It is in the interest of the Iranians that this war drags on until the Americans are exhausted," said a senior UN official with extensive experience in Middle East negotiations. "You know, it's the crocodile's tactic. It suffocates its prey underwater until it stops fighting."

(This FRANCE 24 investigation has been published jointly with PassBlue)

This article was adapted from its original English version.

Related keywords

The content you requested does not exist or is no longer available.