Washington, April 24 -- US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said Friday that the "free ride" for American allies -- who were benefitting from Washington's actions in the Strait of Hormuz -- was "over", stating that the conflict in West Asia was "much more their fight.""This should not be America's fight alone. We barely use the Strait of Hormuz as a country. Our energy doesn't flow through there, and we have plenty of energy," Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon. "Europe and Asia have benefited from our protection for decades, but the time for free riding is over."About 7% of U.S. crude oil and condensate imports and 2% of US petroleum liquids consumption came through the Strait of Hormuz in the first half of 2025, according to the U.S....