Proceedings of the International scientific and practical conference ―Research Horizons in the Modern World‖ (March 27-29, 2026) / Publisher website: www.naukainfo.com. – Warsaw, Poland, 2026. - 135 p.

25 The divergence in consumer basket structures thus converts a regionally contained conflict into an asymmetric global shock: for affluent economies, a moderate increase in living costs; for vulnerable nations, a threat of social unrest and mass starvation. According to WFP projections, a prolonged escalation combined with oil prices sustained above $100 per barrel could push the total number of acutely food-insecure people worldwide to a record 363 million — the highest figure ever recorded [3, 7, 9]. Conclusions. The Persian Gulf conflict vividly illustrates the phenomenon of the deliberate weaponization of food, water, and fertilizer supplies: the targeted disruption of provisioning systems can transform a localized armed conflict into a global humanitarian catastrophe. Even high-income nations with sophisticated market economies have been forced to confront the reality that financial and technological resources cannot guarantee the physiological needs of their populations when global supply chains face systemic rupture. Globalization has amplified the reach of local conflicts, turning them into threats of worldwide consequence. This reality demands urgent action: diversification of logistics corridors, the creation of strategic fertilizer reserves, and deeper international cooperation on food security. In the second quarter of the twenty-first century, food security is not a secondary or peripheral issue — it is a core pillar of both national and international security. REFERENCES: 1. Сааков В. Голод у Судані - в ООН закликали до негайних дій. Deutsche Welle. 06.01.2025. URL: https://www.dw.com/uk/golod-u-sudani-v-oon- zaklikali-do-negajnih-dij/a-71233032. 2. Shamim S. Not just energy: How the Iran war could trigger a global food crisis. Aljazeera. 18.03.2026. URL: https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/3/18/not-just-energy-how-the-iran- war-could-trigger-a-global-food-crisis. 3. Glauber J. The Iran war: Potential food security impacts. IFPRI. 06.03.2026.