During a press conference on Friday, April 24, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz was affecting Europeans more than the United States, while accusing allies of not wanting to engage in the conflict.
“This shouldn’t only be the United States’ war.” During a press conference in Virginia on Friday, April 24, Pete Hegseth, US Defense Secretary, once again criticized Europe for being too hesitant in the war in Iran.
“The Strait of Hormuz is not a country, it’s not our energy that passes through that strait. We have enough energy. It’s Europe and Asia that have benefitted from our protection for decades, but that’s over,” he said, adding that the United States “deserve allies who are capable, who are loyal.”
“To be an ally is not a one-way street. We don’t rely on Europe but they need the Strait of Hormuz more than we do,” Pete Hegseth emphasized, deeming European efforts not very serious.
The traffic comes to a halt in the strait
“Our determination remains, our capabilities are unmatched and our blockade will continue. We have all the time in the world. Iran has a historic opportunity to make a good deal, the ball is in their court,” he concluded.
Diplomatic negotiations that were supposed to resume early in the week in Islamabad between American and Iranian belligerents, after a failure on April 11, are still in limbo.
However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met on Friday with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar, as well as with the powerful Pakistani army chief, Asim Munir.
Traffic has come to a halt in the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) used to pass before the conflict and is now subject to both Iranian and American blockade.
