The growing tension in the Middle East and its impact in the Persian Gulf is generating effects beyond the energy market, by put at risk the international supply of critical minerals essential for sectors such as technology, renewable energies and defensewarned the United Nations.
According to experts from the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), The interruption of maritime transit in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most strategic trade routes in the world, threatens to cause shortages of key inputs such as sulfur, helium and naphthapetroleum byproducts essential for multiple industrial processes.
“If the conflict continues, there will be shortages of certain by-products necessary for the sector, which will reduce production, especially in renewable energy and digital technologies,” said Dario Liguti, director of the sustainable energy division of UNECE, in statements from Geneva.
The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz threatens a shortage of minerals essential for the manufacture of solar panels and mobile phones and skyrockets fertilizer prices, putting the food security of millions in Asia at risk. https://t.co/5Z2xlXZVLV
— UN News (@NoticiasONU) April 23, 2026
Direct impact on technology and energy transition
Before the conflict, about 140 ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz daily transporting oil, gas and industrial raw materials. Currently, maritime flow has been reduced intensively, generating uncertainty in global supply chains.
Sulfur, of which approximately 30% of the world’s supply passes through this route, is key in the processing of critical minerals, while naphtha is used in refining and helium is traditional in the manufacture of semiconductors.. These components are essential to produce solar panels, batteries, electronic devices and electric vehicles.
The possible shortage has already begun to be reflected in some markets, particularly in Asia, where much of the refining of these materials is concentrated. Governments and companies have begun to build up strategic reserves to mitigate the impact of a prolonged disruption.
Analysts warn that this situation could slow down the international energy transition, by making the production of clean technologies more expensive and limiting their availability.. Additionally, rising costs could be passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices on electronics and energy products.
Risks to food security and international stability
The interruption of this maritime artery not only threatens to make smartphones more expensive in California, but is sowing hunger on the other side of the Pacific. The UN estimates that an additional 9.1 million people in Asia could fall into acute food insecurity due to rising fertilizer and transportation prices..
The impact of the crisis is not limited to the industrial sphere. The disruption of maritime trade is also affecting the supply of raw materials for fertilizers, which could have direct consequences on agricultural production and food security.
In countries in South and Southeast Asia, the rising cost of transportation, fuel and agricultural inputs is already generating pressure on economies highly dependent on imports.
Specific cases reflect the magnitude of the problem. In Bangladesh, fertilizer production has been disrupted in the middle of the agricultural season, while in Nepal diesel prices have increased significantly. In other nations, such as Myanmar and Afghanistan, humanitarian operations face higher logistical costs and risk of shortages.
Although a temporary ceasefire between the United States and Iran has provided some respite, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz remains fragile. Reports of ships being attacked or detained maintain uncertainty on a route that carries about a fifth of the world’s oil and a significant portion of raw materials trade.
For international experts, the right scenario shows the structural vulnerability of global supply chains, highly concentrated in geopolitically unstable regions.. If the conflict persists, they warn, the impact could escalate into a broader economic and humanitarian crisis.
Keep reading:
- Hormuz blockade threatens inflation, food catastrophe and plunging 32 million people into poverty
- War in the Middle East threatens to unleash unprecedented global famine: UN
- 3 economic effects of the war in Iran beyond the increase in oil prices
