(FOX NEWS) — Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Friday at the Pentagon that Europe and Asia have benefitted from U.S. protection for decades, “but the time for free riding is over.”

“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,” Hegseth said as the U.S. is in a standoff with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz.

“We are not counting on Europe, but they need the Strait of Hormuz much more than we do, and might want to start doing less talking and having less fancy conferences in Europe and get in a boat,” Hegseth added. “This is much more their fight than ours.”