▲ U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon near Washington on April 24, 2026. (Yonhap)
▲ Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon near Washington on April 24, 2026. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) Hegseth-Iran operation

(LEAD) Hegseth calls for allies' role in Strait of Hormuz, says 'time for free riding is over'

(ATTN: ADDS photo, more info in paras 13-17)

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, April 24 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reiterated the need Friday for Asian and European allies to play a role in securing the crucial Strait of Hormuz, saying "the time for free riding is over."

Hegseth made the remarks during a press briefing at the Pentagon, underscoring that the ongoing U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and vessels is "growing and going global," and that the blockade will last "as long as it takes."

"Europe and Asia have benefited from our protection for decades, but the time for free riding is over," the secretary said, stressing that the U.S. efforts in the Strait of Hormuz "should not be America's fight alone."

"America and the free world deserve allies who are capable, who are loyal and who understand that being an ally is not a one-way street. It's a two-way street," he added.

The Pentagon chief went on to highlight that Europe needs safe passage through the strait for energy imports much more than the United States does.

"(Europe) might want to start doing less talking, having less fancy conferences ... This is much more their fight than ours," he said.

He was apparently calling on allies to provide assistance to support the U.S. maritime blockade or help secure the Strait of Hormuz through such efforts as sending warships to help escort merchant vessels through the waterway fraught with risks of Iranian attacks.

He underlined the growing scale of the maritime blockade, which the U.S. Navy began on April 13 as part of efforts to pressure Tehran to make a deal to end hostilities with the U.S.. Iran has used the waterway as a key source of its strategic leverage against the U.S.

"The United States has imposed an ironclad blockade that grows more powerful by the day. From the Gulf of Oman to the open oceans, our Navy is enforcing this blockade without hesitation or apology," he said.

Hegseth cast the U.S. military operation against Iran as a "bold and dangerous" mission, and a "gift to the world" as it seeks to ensure that Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. He also stressed that Iran has an opportunity to make a "good" and "wise" deal with the U.S.

"Our blockade is only growing and going global. As the president said, we have all the time in the world," he said.

"Iran has a historic chance to make a serious deal, and the ball is in their court. Either way, the War Department stands ready for what comes next, locked and loaded."

Commenting on the U.S. maritime operation, Hegseth said that 34 ships, including Iranian vessels, have been turned around under the operation.

This week, the U.S. seized two Iranian "dark fleet" ships in the Indo-Pacific region that had left Iranian ports before the blockade went into effect, he added.

Commenting on the Iranian operation, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said that to date, the Islamic Republic attacked five merchant vessels and seized two of them that were attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz.

Hegseth said that Iran's military has been reduced to a "gang of pirates."

"The world now sees them for what they are ... criminals on the high seas," he said. "They don't control anything. They are acting like pirates, acting like terrorists."

(END)

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