Hegseth on NATO: 'A lot has been laid bare'

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Tuesday expressed disappointment with NATO members over their unwillingness to cooperate with the U.S. during the Iran war.

NATO allies have generally been hesitant to commit to supporting the Iran war in a military capacity. Spain, for instance, declined to let the U.S. use its bases as staging grounds for the operation, while other nations have resisted calls to supply naval vessels to patrol the Strait of Hormuz.

"A lot has been laid bare. A lot has been shown to the world about what our allies would be willing to do for the United States of America when we undertake an effort of this scope," he said, during a press conference. "When we ask for additional assistance... we get questions, or roadblocks, or hesitation."

"You don't have much of an alliance if you have countries that are not willing to stand with you when you need them!" he went on.

Hegseth also highlighted that Iran's missile arsenal could not reach the United States, but could target American allies and that the U.S. was waging the conflict "on behalf of the free world."

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.