Brussels proposed to recreate the “grain deal” to unblock the Strait of Hormuz

The head of European diplomacy Kaja Kallas suggested introducing an analog of the “grain deal” that worked during the Russian-Ukrainian war to unblock the Strait of Hormuz. The official said this in an interview with Reuters.

One of the main consequences of the US-Israeli war with Iran was the rise in energy prices due to the Islamic Republic’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran accounts for about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies.

“Nobody is ready to put their people in ⁠harm’s way in the Strait of Hormuz. We have to find … diplomatic ways to keep this open so that we don’t have a … food crisis, fertilisers crisis, energy crisis in the world,” Kallas said.

She put forward the idea of repeating the “grain deal” that was concluded with the mediation of the United Nations during Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Kallas said she had discussed the idea with the UN secretary general Antonio Guterres and that the Organization is “working on it”

“Now the question is what neighboring countries, especially Iran, could also agree to,” the official added.

The “grain deal” – agreements with Turkey and the UN that Kyiv and Moscow separately concluded in July 2022. A grain corridor was to be established in the Black Sea.

However, since the conclusion Russia blackmailed what will come out of the deal, as well as slowed down the operation of the corridor. And already in July 2023, Moscow announced about withdrawing from the treaty and in the following days began massive attacks on cities and ports in southern Ukraine.

In the second half of the same year, Ukraine launched its own sea corridor, the sole guarantor of which was the Armed Forces. Thanks to it, Kyiv was able to transport not only agricultural products, but also metallurgical goods, containers, etc. Since withdrawing from the grain deal, Moscow attacks Ukrainian port infrastructure, as well as civilian ships.

Tags: Iran, EU, Black Sea grain corridor, Hormuz