EU considers Black Sea Grain deal-style plan for Hormuz

The European Union’s High Representative Kaja Kallas said that the EU is discussing a solution similar to the Black Sea Grain Initiative to keep the Strait of Hormuz open while attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran and Iran’s retaliatory actions continue.

Speaking to the press before the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, Kallas said that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz would benefit Russia, as it could allow Moscow to finance its war more easily, CE Report quotes Anadolu Agency.

Kallas stated that keeping the Strait of Hormuz open would be one of the main agenda items of the meeting and noted that she discussed the issue over the weekend with António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations.

“We talked with Guterres about whether a similar initiative to the one previously implemented under the Black Sea Grain Initiative could be possible for the Strait of Hormuz. That initiative enabled grain exports from Ukraine,” Kallas said.

Kallas emphasized that closing the Strait of Hormuz would be extremely dangerous for oil and energy supplies to Asia.

“Eighty-five percent of the oil and gas passing through the Strait of Hormuz goes to Asian countries. However, the problem is not limited to energy—it could also create serious issues for fertilizer supplies. If there is a fertilizer shortage this year, it could lead to food shortages next year. That is why we discussed with António Guterres how such a mechanism could be made possible and implemented,” she added.