The ongoing Iran war is causing more economic harm than just the cost of oil, with essential crop fertilizers also caught in the crossfire. Approximately one-third of the world's fertilizer ingredients, which transport through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping chokepoint along Iran's southern coast, are affected by the conflict. The Strait has been effectively shut since the U.S.-Israeli attacks began on Iran on February 28, and there are fears that Iran has planted sea mines in the strait. Oil prices have surged as a result, with U.K. crude oil topping $99 a barrel on Friday evening, up around 50% since the start of the war. The Middle East plays an outsized role in fertilizer production due to its natural gas reserves. Disruptions in the region can influence prices and availability elsewhere, leading to increases in cost or tightening of supplies overseas. Food prices have already been rising, with expectations that further increases will increase as supplies tighten even more.