Washington, April 24 -- In a sharp escalation of rhetoric, Pete Hegseth on Friday criticised European powers for what he called "silly" diplomacy on the Strait of Hormuz, urging them to take concrete action in a region critical to global energy flows.
Reacting to last week's conference hosted by United Kingdom and France on maritime safety, Hegseth said Washington would welcome a "serious" European effort instead of "fancy conferences," stressing that Europe has far more at stake given its dependence on Gulf energy supplies.
"Europe needs this passage more than we do," he said, adding bluntly that allies should "do less talking and get in a boat." He also made it clear that the United States is no longer relying on European support in the...