Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz could trigger a global food crisis during the Global Partnerships Conference [1].
This warning highlights the fragility of international trade routes and the direct link between maritime security in the Middle East and global food stability. A prolonged closure of this critical waterway threatens to disrupt the flow of essential goods to vulnerable populations worldwide.
Speaking at the 2026 conference, Cooper said the international community must address the disruptions caused by Iran [1, 3]. She said that the current situation is unsustainable and that the world is effectively sleepwalking into a crisis [3].
Cooper called for immediate international cooperation to restore access to the waterway. She said, "The world cannot wait any longer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz" [2].
The Foreign Secretary said that the closure is not merely a regional political issue but a systemic threat to global nutrition, and economic stability [2, 3]. The disruption of shipping lanes in the region impacts the cost and availability of agricultural products and fertilizers globally.
Cooper urged attendees of the Global Partnerships Conference to prioritize the reopening of the strait to prevent a wider humanitarian disaster [1, 2].
“The world cannot wait any longer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.”
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most strategically important chokepoints for global trade. A closure does not only affect oil prices but disrupts the logistics of global food distribution. By framing this as a food security issue rather than just a diplomatic or energy dispute, the UK government is attempting to build a broader international coalition to pressure for the waterway's reopening.
