Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Thursday urged Iran to keep the strategically important Strait of Hormuz open, Xinhua reported.
"I urge the Iranian leadership to live up to its international commitments, including stop the enrichment program and ensure free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz," Rasmussen told journalists.
He added that NATO is not involved in Iran issue, however the situation is being followed closely.
"NATO as an alliance and as an organization, is not involved in Iran question. Individual allies are, but NATO as an organization is not," Rasmussen said.
"Obviously, we follow the situation closely and some statements from the Iranian leadership are of course a matter of concern," he added.
The Strait of Hormuz which is located between Oman and Iran, connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
The Strait is deep and wide enough to handle the world's largest crude oil tankers, with about two-thirds of oil shipments carried by tankers in excess of 150,000 deadweight tons, EIA reports.
On average, 14 crude oil tankers per day passed through the Strait in 2011, with a corresponding amount of empty tankers entering to pick up new cargos, EIA said in its report.
More than 85 percent of these crude oil exports went to Asian markets, with Japan, India, South Korea, and China representing the largest destinations.
Edited by: S. Isayev