Sulfur War: Why is the Strait of Hormuz blockade paralyzing your fridge and phone?

After the outbreak of war in the Middle East, media attention focuses on the price of oil, but the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz also affects the supply of another key raw material – sulfur. The Persian Gulf region accounts for half of its maritime trade, so disruptions are severely impacting the production of food, metals and military equipment.

Sulfur is mainly produced in the extraction of oil and gas, so its amount depends on how much of these raw materials is extracted, which means that it cannot be increased quickly.

Since the beginning of the Israeli-American bombing of Iran on February 28 and Tehran's retaliatory attacks on the Gulf countries, sulfur prices have increased – according to The Economist – by 40 percent, and the short-term supply market has practically stopped.

The fertilizer sector, which consumes approximately 60 percent. global sulfur supply is facing serious disruptions. Sulfur, converted into sulfuric acid, is crucial for the production of phosphorus fertilizers. Delivery delays mean some fertilizers will not arrive on time and will not be available for use in the 2026 sowing season in the Northern Hemisphere.

The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz directly cuts off supplies to countries such as India and Brazil, which imports over 80 percent. fertilizers. This is striking, among others: in the production of soybean, a key feed for cattle and pigs in China and the USA.

Low-income countries – such as Sudan, which gets more than half its fertilizer from the Gulf region – are particularly vulnerable to sharp declines in crop yields.

Sulfuric acid is crucial for the recovery of metals such as copper, nickel and cobalt. In the case of Indonesia, which is responsible for more than half of the world's nickel production and imports 75%. sulfur from the Middle East, local processing plants have supplies sufficient for only one or two months, Reuters reported on March 6.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Zambia, which supply over 15%. world copper, approx. 90 percent sulfur needed to process the ore comes from the Gulf region. Experts warn that without resumption of supplies within three weeks, some mining operations may be suspended.

Additionally, the DRC is responsible for approximately 70 percent. world mining of cobalt, used mainly in the production of lithium-ion batteries, the processing of which also requires sulfuric acid.

This also has consequences for the production of equipment and ammunition. Sulfur – indirectly through the production of copper – affects the availability of materials used in transformers, engines and communication systems necessary for the operation of bases and the defense industry.

The current disruptions on the sulfur market translate into the copper market, which in turn may impact the operational readiness of the United States, warns the Modern War Institute, operating at the American Military Academy West Point. As an example, military analysts say that repairing just two American radars destroyed in Bahrain and Qatar requires over $30,000. kilograms of copper.

This raw material is also crucial for the production of explosives – sulfur is a component of charges used in American ammunition. Sulfuric acid, in turn, is necessary in the production of microprocessors, without which, for example, missile guidance systems will not be created – emphasizes the Modern War Institute.

The effects of sulfur deficiency are felt now, but their greatest intensity and long-term consequences are, according to analysts, spread over time – from the coming weeks to 2027. (PAP)

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