The US disdains the “absurd” summit between the United Kingdom and France for a mission in Hormuz: “They are not serious efforts yet”

The Secretary of Defense of the United States, Pete Hegseth, this Friday disdained the efforts led by the United Kingdom and France to launch an international naval mission to escort merchant ships in the Hormuz Pass once the war ends, ensuring that they held an “absurd” summit in which there were still no “serious efforts” to launch the operation.

“I know there are a lot of conversations. They saw what I would call a rather absurd conference in Europe last week, where they met and talked about maybe doing something in the future, when everything is over,” criticized the North American Defense official at a press conference from the Pentagon headquarters.

According to Hegseth, these are not “serious efforts yet”, which is why he indicated that Washington would “welcome” an initiative in Hormuz, given that it is a maritime route in which European partners have more at stake than the United States.

It is the “energy capabilities” of Europeans that are at risk, which is why it is a “wake-up call” for them, stressed Hegseth, who pointed out that the crisis in Hormuz has made it clear that in matters of security “either you have capabilities or you don’t.”

“Otherwise, you are at the mercy of a country like Iran, and the only country that can do something about it is the United States Army,” said the head of the Pentagon, who has once again denounced the passivity, in his opinion, of Europe and Asia in matters of security and defense.

“They have benefited from our protection for years. No more taking advantage without contributing. The United States and the free world deserve allies who are capable, loyal and who understand that being an ally is not a one-way street, but a two-way street,” he stated, following the rhetoric of the White House against its allies, especially the European ones.

Hegseth has said that “he doesn’t count on Europe”, but has insisted that the Hormuz Pass is much more strategic for the continent so “maybe they should start talking less, hold fewer fancy conferences in Europe and get on a boat.”

Last Friday, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, announced at the Elysee Palace the launch of a “neutral” naval mission that “accompanies and protects” merchant ships transiting the Persian Gulf, after the summit with thirty leaders of the international coalition studying the deployment.