Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth just called the Iran war a “gift to the world” implying that America’s allies should be grateful for the global oil crisis it triggered. Speaking on April 24, 2026, Hegseth framed the conflict as a historic favor from the administration, insisting that other nations should step up instead of relying on the U.S. to fix the mess, per The Daily Beast.
The Strait of Hormuz has been shut down since February 28, sending oil prices past $105 a barrel and pushing gas to $4.06 a gallon, up nearly $3 from pre-war levels. Yet Hegseth’s message was clear: America isn’t the only country that needs it reopened, so why should it be America’s problem alone? The defense secretary’s comments come a week after the U.K. and France gathered 51 nations to discuss protecting merchant ships and clearing mines in the strait.
