BRUSSELS, March 16 (Reuters) - EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday she had discussed with the United Nations the idea of freeing up transport of oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz by replicating a deal that gets grain out of Ukraine during wartime.

Christian Bueger, professor of International Relations at University of Copenhagen, says an international coalition headed by Trump to reopen the Strait of of Hormuz is unlikely to work. He emphasizes the importance of diplomacy and multilateral institutions to find a solution for the shipping industry.

The strategic shipping lane carries a fifth of the world's oil. Analysts warn prolonged disruption could send fuel prices soaring and trigger a global economic slowdown.

March 15 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump warned NATO of a “very ⁠bad” ⁠future if allies do not help open ⁠up the Strait of Hormuz and said he may also delay a planned summit ​with Chinese President Xi Jinping, in comments published by the Financial Times on Sunday.

The U.S. said it had destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying ships amid fears Tehran could deploy hundreds of mines to effectively booby-trap the critical shipping lane.

Fujairah, located on the Gulf of ​Oman just outside the Strait of Hormuz, ⁠is typically a critical exit point for about ​1 million barrels per day of the UAE's ​Murban crude - a volume equivalent to roughly 1% of global demand.

The Strait of Hormuz, the world's most critical chokepoint for oil shipments, has been effectively closed since the U.S. and Israel began the war on Iran.

Powerful storm system slams Midwest as East Coast braces for impact; Trump calls for other nations to help reopen Strait of Hormuz; Gas prices could reach $4 per gallon nationwide average this week; and more on tonight’s broadcast.