The United States could face a large‑scale food crisis and sharp spikes in grocery prices if the global market for mineral fertilizers is destabilized, The Wall Street Journal reports. Jeff Steyer, a fellow at the Hartland Institute, warned that key supply chains in the sector are effectively controlled by a Russia–China–Iran axis, creating a direct threat to the food security of Western countries.

According to Steyer, the simultaneous closure of strategic shipping routes, the Strait of Hormuz and the Black Sea, combined with regulatory maneuvers by Beijing, could trigger a systemic failure in the global agricultural supply chain. To reduce the risks of dependency on external geopolitical forces, he urged the White House to take a tougher line on China and to adopt urgent measures to protect the domestic agricultural sector.

Concerns about supply disruptions are growing amid a broader crisis in the Persian Gulf region. Bloomberg has previously reported that worsening economic conditions and a decline in household purchasing power in Iran have forced local retailers to offer installment plans for basic food purchases, while pressure on Tehran continues to mount as the US weighs another round of coordinated sanctions.