A clip of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth telling Europe to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on its own is going viral on social media, and the reactions ranged from support to disbelief and rebuke.
In the footage, Hegseth says: “We’re not counting on Europe, but they need the Strait of Hormuz much more than we do.” The continent is indeed facing a crisis, with natural gas up around 60% sine the war with Iran started, feeding into electricity bills and shortages all over (per Euronews).
Hegseth then adds: “[they] might want to start doing less talking, having less fancy conferences in Europe, and get in a boat. This is much more their fight, than ours.”
The influencer who posted it on X — the self-described wife of a disabled Ukrainian war veteran living in Canada — had strong words for the secretary. “This is the dumbest and most disgraceful U.S. administration in American history,” she wrote.
Pete Hegseth: “Europe needs the Strait of Hormuz more than we do. Get on a boat. This is their fight, not ours.”
— Olena Rohoza (@OlenaRohoza) September 19, 2026
This is the dumbest and most disgraceful U.S. administration in American history. They started the war themselves, and now it’s: “This is your problem — go clean up… pic.twitter.com/2HWtrHkgZr
Other comments echoed much the same sentiment. “Set the house on fire, lock the door, and then complain the neighbors aren’t bringing enough buckets,” wrote one user.
“Hormuz was open before you went in there flexing,” added another user, with a laughing face emoji.
“What is the point of this war again?” another person asked. “Regime change. Did the regime change? Yes. So, let’s go home.”
A sizable share of replies took Hegseth’s side, however. “But he’s right. We have enough oil, they don’t.”
“If Iran gets nuclear weapons, it’s everyone’s problem,” one comment read. “Even the vast majority of Democrats concede this.”
The sentiment tracks with what the administration has said for months. Even Trump said that countries short on fuel should “build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT.” (via Fox News)
How the strait closed and Europe’s response to the war
The conflict with Iran opened February 28 when U.S. and Israel launched a joint air campaign. Tehran answered with missiles and moved to seal the Strait of Hormuz, which was open prior to the engagement. Tanker traffic collapsed, and crude and diesel prices climbed sharply.
A memorandum was reached between the U.S. and Iran a month into the war, but since then, the ceasefire agreement has failed to hold, leaving the strait contested amid repeated skirmishes.
As for Europe, the NATO allies have largely declined to get involved. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told reporters: “This is not our war. We have not started it,” and further said that if the U.S. Navy couldn’t open the strait, then “a handful or two handfuls of European frigates” wouldn’t be able to make a difference either. (per Aljazeera) After EU ministers gathered in Brussels, foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas summed up the room by saying, “Nobody wants to go actively in this war.” (via EEAS)
Seven months into the conflict, there appears to be no clear resolution on the horizon.
