How the Hormuz closure could affect food, medicines and smartphones in World Economy News 28/03/2026 The interruption of oil and gas supplied through the Strait of Hormuz due to the US-Israel war with Iran has dramatically pushed up global energy prices. Petrol has gone up already and UK domestic heating bills are almost certain to follow. But it’s not just fuel that’s been impacted by the conflict. A host of other vitally important chemicals, gases and other products normally enter international supply chains via the Hormuz Strait. BBC Verify has found that the price of a host of goods – ranging from food, to smartphones, to medicines – could be affected, as the number of ships passing through the Hormuz Strait has dropped from well over 100 a day before the war to just a handful. Here is what could be impacted. Fertilisers (Food) Petrochemicals are derived from oil and gas and they are produced in great quantities for export by countries in the Gulf region. And one of the most important is fertiliser, vital for global agricultural production. According to the United Nations, around a third of the world’s fertilisers – such as urea, potash, ammonia and phosphates – normally pass through the Hormuz Strait. Data from the World Trade Organization shows that, since the conflict began, outbound shipments of fertiliser-related products through the waterway have collapsed. Analysts have warned that a shortage of these ferilisers is likely to be particularly damaging to agricultural production now because March and April are the northern hemisphere’s planting season and less fertiliser use now by farmers will impact yields for later in the year. “A relatively brief closure could disrupt an entire growing season, with food security consequences that persist long after the strait reopens,” according to researchers at the Kiel Institute. The Institute’s work suggests a full closure of the Strait of Hormuz could push up global wheat prices by 4.2% and fruit and vegetable prices by 5.2%. And it estimates that the most badly affected countries in terms of the overall increase in food prices would be Zambia (31%), Sri Lanka (15%), Taiwan (12%) and Pakistan (11%). Russia normally supplies around a fifth of global fertiliser exports and analysts say it could potentially increase production to fill the gap. Vladimir Putin’s special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, has said that Russia, a major producer of commodities like fertiliser, is “well positioned”. Helium (Microchips) A third of global shipments of helium gas normally come from Qatar and pass through the Strait of Hormuz. It’s a byproduct of the production of natural gas and is used in the manufacture of semiconductor wafers, which are then processed into the microchips used in computers, vehicles and household appliances. Helium is also used to cool the magnets in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners used in hospitals. Qatar’s giant Ras Laffan plant, which produces the gas, has shut down production after Iranian missile and drone strikes. And the Qatar government has warned it will take three to five years to repair the damage, raising fears about supplies. In 2023, the US Semiconductor Industry Association warned of “price spikes” if global helium supplies were disrupted. Analysts have warned the knock-on impact of the Hormuz blockage could be an increase in the prices of a host of cutting-edge technologies, from smartphones to data centres. And Prashant Yadav, a senior fellow for global health at