BRUSSELS

NATO said that allies have already taken steps to increase security in the Mediterranean following comments by US President Donald Trump, who warned that failing to ensure the safety of the Strait of Hormuz would be "very bad for NATO's future."

In a written response to Anadolu on Monday, a NATO official, who wished to remain anonymous, stated that "allies have already stepped up to provide additional security in the Mediterranean."

"We are aware that individual allies are talking with the US and others on what more they might do, including in the context of security in the Strait of Hormuz," it said.

Her remarks came after Trump called on allies to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route through which a significant share of the world’s oil passes, making it critical to international energy markets.

The Strait of Hormuz has been at the center of energy market concerns since Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced its closure to most vessels amid US-Israeli attacks against the country that began on Feb. 28.

Prior to the war, around 20 million barrels of oil passed through the strait daily. Its disruption has pushed up oil prices.

US-Israeli attacks on Iran have so far killed around 1,300 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets.