US senator Chris Van Hollen criticised Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for what he called their "disregard for American servicemembers".

"This war isn’t making our country safer. Donald Trump & Secretary Hegseth's complete disregard for American servicemembers is disgraceful," he wrote in a post on X.

"Our military men and women & their families deserve better. The best way to protect them is to end this war."

The post was made in response to reports of poor conditions across several US military ships, including a lack of food and water, the unsanitary state inside the vessels as well as exhausted crew members.