MOSCOW, September 17 (HS/RIA Novosti) - Disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz are causing a global fertilizer shortage and worsening market conditions, including in the energy sector, Director of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Liaison Office with the Russian Federation, Oleg Kobiakov, told RIA Novosti.

Disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz are causing a global fertilizer shortage, which leads to a deterioration of the situation in fertilizer markets and rising energy prices, Kobiakov said.

He added that the crisis surrounding Iran has shifted from a short-term flare-up to a protracted systemic problem.

On February 28, the United States and Israel began striking targets in Iran, prompting retaliatory strikes from the Iranian side. In mid-June, Tehran and Washington signed a memorandum to cease hostilities, though they subsequently exchanged strikes again. At present, the conflict remains unresolved.

The escalation of the conflict has brought shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to a near-standstill. This is a key supply route for the global market for oil, petroleum products, and liquefied natural gas. As a result, fuel prices have risen in most countries around the world.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar