US President Donald Trump has sharply criticised UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer for declining to support Washington’s military campaign against Iran, warning that the long-standing “special relationship” between the two nations is under strain.
Trump accused Starmer of failing to stand with the United States during its offensive operations.
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“He has not been helpful…I never thought I’d see that. I never thought I’d see that from the UK,” Trump said of Starmer.
Trump Says US-UK Alliance ‘Not What It Was’
The US president suggested the historic alliance had shifted significantly.
“It’s a different world, actually. It’s just a much different kind of relationship that we’ve had with your country before.”
Trump said he never expected to see what he described as the once “most solid of all” alliances come under such pressure.
“It’s not going to matter, but [Starmer] should have helped… he should have,” Trump added, signalling that Washington no longer relies on Britain in the same way for Middle East operations.
Speaking to The Sun, Trump compared Starmer’s position unfavourably with France’s backing of the strikes and praise from Mark Rutte, Nato’s secretary general.
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“No, they’ve all been pretty much great other than … we think Keir’s was just very different,” he said.
Trump also said he wished Starmer “a lot of luck” but described the UK as “not such a recognisable country”.
Starmer Rejects ‘Regime Change From the Skies’
Starmer delivered his firmest criticism yet of the US action in Iran during a statement in the House of Commons.
He said the UK did not believe in “regime change from the skies” and defended his decision not to permit British bases to be used for offensive strikes.
“We all remember the mistakes of Iraq, and we have learned those lessons. Any UK actions must always have a lawful basis, and a viable thought-through plan,” he said. “That is the principle that I applied to the decisions that I made over the weekend.”
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However, the Prime Minister confirmed that Britain would allow its bases to be used for defensive purposes to protect allied forces in the Gulf and Middle East following retaliatory Iranian strikes.
He told MPs that RAF aircraft had intercepted an Iranian drone targeting a coalition base in Iraq where UK personnel were stationed. Two additional drones were fired at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, which he said were launched before Sunday night’s statement regarding US use of UK bases.
Iran Retaliates as Regional Tensions Escalate
Iran launched a wave of missile and drone attacks across the Gulf and Middle East following the initial US-Israeli strikes, which reportedly killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior Iranian figures.
Targets included the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, Bahrain and Oman.
The UK is expected to allow the United States to use RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands for further operations against Iran’s so-called “missile cities”.
Trump also criticised Starmer’s domestic and foreign policy decisions, urging him to reconsider positions on the Chagos Islands agreement, North Sea oil and gas exploration, and immigration.
Despite the sharp rhetoric, Trump insisted he maintained a “great relationship” with the British public.
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