'Much more their fight than ours’: Pete Hegseth raps Europe for inactivity in Strait of Hormuz issue
More than a month into the conflict, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said on Friday that it was “much more their fight,” referring to Europe. It is no secret that the Trump administration is not happy with what it sees as European inaction during the Iran conflict. On multiple occasions, President Donald Trump has ranted against NATO allies on Truth Social. In the administration’s most recent attack, Hegseth claimed that Europe needed the Strait of Hormuz more than the U.S.
“This should not be America’s fight alone,” he said at a press briefing. “We barely use the Strait of Hormuz as a country. Our energy doesn’t flow through there, and we have plenty of energy.” Hegseth also claimed that Europe and Asia had been benefiting from American protection for “decades,” and that the time for “free-riding” was over. “America and the free world deserve allies who are capable, who are loyal, and who understand that being an ally is not a one-way street.”
Hegseth: "We are not counting on Europe, but they need the Strait of Hormuz much more than we do, and might want to start doing less talking and having less fancy conferences in Europe and get in a boat. This is much more their fight than ours." pic.twitter.com/OUnt3n9TfV
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 24, 2026
Hegseth was then asked if any European leaders had reached out to the U.S., as jet fuel stocks on the continent could run out in six weeks if the blockade at the Strait of Hormuz was not lifted. The Secretary of Defense said that while there has been extensive discussion within the European Union about getting involved in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, no concrete action has been taken.
“I know there are a lot of talks,” Hegseth said. “You saw the, I would call it a silly conference in Europe last week, where they got together and talked about possibly taking action at some point. Those are not serious efforts yet. We would welcome that. We would welcome a serious European effort to do something about this Strait, this passage, considering it’s their energy capabilities that are most at stake. It is a wake-up call.”
Hegseth: "You saw the I would call it a silly conference in Europe last week, where they got together and talked about talking about maybe doing something eventually when things are done. Those are not serious efforts yet." pic.twitter.com/LcWqXcRgNw
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 24, 2026
As per a report in DW, leaders from the EU’s 27 member states came together in Cyprus to discuss the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, among other issues. Latvia's Prime Minister Evika Siliņa asked if the Union could do anything to “stop this high rise of prices which can affect our inflation rate.”
When it comes to the Middle East, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said that it was “reaffirming our firm solidarity with our Middle East partners.” “Times like these call for stronger partnerships. We will deepen our ties across the board, from defence and security to investments,” she added. On Friday, the EU leaders will be joined by the presidents of Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan, as well as the crown prince of Jordan.
While Donald Trump’s ceasefire extension is indefinite, the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to travel to Islamabad with a small delegation to resume peace talks with the American delegation, as per an Al Jazeera report. A Pakistani official said there was a “high likelihood of a breakthrough” when talks resume.
