Washington: US President Donald Trump warned that NATO faces a 'very bad' future if allies fail to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, signaling pressure on Europe and China to join the US in its war effort against Iran.

According to Anadolu Agency, Trump, in an interview with the Financial Times published Sunday, stated he could delay a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled from March 31 to April 2 as he urged Beijing to assist in unblocking the strategic waterway. Trump emphasized the importance of international involvement, saying, 'It's only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the Strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there,' highlighting Europe and China's heavy reliance on Gulf oil, as opposed to the US.

Trump further warned about the future of NATO, saying, 'If there's no response or if it's a negative response, I think it will be very bad for the future of NATO.' His statements followed a day after he appealed to China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the UK to join a 'team effort' to secure the chokepoint, which Iran effectively closed following US-Israeli joint strikes over the past two weeks.

He also urged China to act before his summit in Beijing, noting the country sources 90% of its oil through the Strait. 'We'd like to know before that,' he said. Furthermore, Trump criticized Britain's slow response, pointing out that the UK offered only two ships after Iran's military capacity had already been largely destroyed.

Additionally, Trump warned that the US could target Iran's oil export hub on Kharg Island and other Iranian oil infrastructure. 'You saw we hit Kharg island, everything but the pipes yesterday,' he mentioned, referring to a bombing raid announced on Friday. 'We can hit that in five minutes. And there's not a thing they can do about it,' he added.