Iran-Israel War: US President Donald Trump took a swipe at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the UK’s reaction to the ongoing US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, suggesting that London was "finally giving serious thought" to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East. However, Trump made it clear that American forces did not need the UK’s help to secure victory in the conflict.
On Saturday, Trump sharply criticised Starmer for not supporting the US-Israeli strikes on Iran and claimed that the UK was now considering deploying aircraft carriers to the region.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump asserted that the US don't need people to join wars after it has already won them.
He said, "The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, maybe the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East. That's OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don't need them any longer -- But we will remember. We don't need people that join Wars after we've already won!"
In his response, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer invoked the UK's enduring "special relationship" with the US, pushing back against Trump's criticism. Starmer argued that focusing on Trump’s remarks was not reflective of the real nature of the UK-US alliance.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday invoked the UK's special friendship in action to respond to the latest round of criticism from US President Donald Trump. Starmer said that hanging on to Trump's words was not a sign of the relationship in action.
Speaking in the UK Parliament, Starmer said, "American planes are operating out of British bases. That is the special relationship in action. British jets are shooting down drones and missiles to protect American lives in the Middle East on our joint bases. That is the special relationship in action. Sharing intelligence every day to keep our people safe. That is the special relationship in action. Hanging on to President Trump's latest words is not the special relationship in action."
Starmer also defended his decision not to support the strike on Iran, explaining that there had been no lawful basis for such an action, a position he maintained.
In a post on X, the UK Ministry of Defence shared the operation updates of March 7, where it mentioned that the US has started using British bases for specific defensive operations, "to prevent Iran firing missiles into the region, which is putting British lives at risk".
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump labelled the UK's stance on Iran as "very, very uncooperative," accusing Keir Starmer of "ruining relationships" and stating that he was no "Winston Churchill."
Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office, Trump said he was "not happy" with what he described as a lack of cooperation from London during the build-up to the strikes on Tehran.
These exchanges come amid rising tensions following a joint US-Israeli military strike on February 28, which targeted Iranian soil and resulted in the deaths of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior figures. This attack prompted a furious response from Tehran.
In response, Iran retaliated by launching ballistic missiles and drones at US assets and allies across the region, including Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan, further widening the conflict in West Asia and heightening risks for civilians and expatriates alike.