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In a striking message directed at Sir Keir Starmer, Donald Trump has made it clear that the United States does not require Britain’s assistance in deploying aircraft carriers to the Middle East. The former US President expressed his dissatisfaction with the UK’s stance, asserting that the country was once a pivotal ally but has now seemingly fallen short in supporting his efforts against Iran.
Trump’s comments came in the wake of reports that the UK was preparing to send HMS Prince of Wales, one of its two aircraft carriers, to the Middle East amid escalating tensions with Iran. This move has been seen as a response to growing criticism of Britain’s military involvement in the conflict.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “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!”
Trump’s remarks underscore a shift in the once-strong transatlantic relationship, as he takes a critical stance on the UK’s delayed military response. The situation highlights the complex dynamics between the US and UK as they navigate international conflicts and alliances.
‘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!’Â Â Â
Earlier this week, Trump declared that he was ‘not happy’ with the PM and accused him of being ‘very, very uncooperative’.Â
In an apparent reference to Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands, the US President said: ‘That island… It’s taken three, four days for us to work out where we can land there.
‘It would have been much more convenient landing there as opposed to flying many extra hours, so we are very surprised.’
Referring to Britain’s war-time PM, a bust of whom sits in the Oval Office, Trump added: ‘This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with.’
Donald Trump has told Sir Keir Starmer that the US does not Britain to send its aircraft carriers to the Middle East
The president’s fiery post comes after it emerged the UK was preparing to deploy HMS Prince of Wales (pictured) to the Middle East
The US President went on to criticise the UK’s approach to the ‘stupid island’ as he issued a fresh blast at Sir Keir’s bid to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
‘This is not the age of Churchill. I will say the UK has been very, very uncooperative with that stupid island that they have, that they gave away and took a 100-year lease,’ he told reporters in the Oval Office, as he sat alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
‘Having to do with, perhaps, indigenous people claiming the island that never even saw the island before. What’s that all about? They ruin relationships, it’s a shame.’
In his latest outburst, Trump appeared to tell Sir Keir not to send British aircraft carriers to the Middle East, with HMS Prince of Wales currently docked in Portsmouth, undergoing repairs and maintenance.
The £3billion warship carries F-35 fighter jets and would be deployed alongside an escort of other vessels and a submarine if sent to the region.
The Ministry of Defence said it was increasing the preparedness of HMS Prince of Wales and reducing the time it would take to set sail, but that no decisions have been taken to deploy the warship.Â
The Prime Minister has sought to play down the rift, saying the special relationship is ‘in operation right now’ as the two countries share intelligence and work together on the response.Â
On Thursday, Sir Keir urged Trump to ‘de-escalate’ the crisis and negotiate with what is left of Iran’s leadership. But the PM admitted that, despite the global crisis, he had not spoken to the US President for almost a week following their spectacular falling-out.Â
The PM has suggested that the fallout from the conflict could go on for months, with potentially huge impacts on energy bills and the cost of living – and the possibility of a new refugee crisis.
He acknowledged that relatives of the tens of thousands of British citizens trapped in the war zone were ‘worried sick’ but said a mass evacuation ‘is not going to happen overnight’.
He added: ‘I want you to know that your Government is resolute in our response, at home and abroad.
‘We will do everything we can to protect British lives, uphold British values and safeguard the national interest.’
Sir Keir did not deny reports suggesting that he had wanted to allow US jets to fly ‘defensive’ missions from British bases from the outset, but was blocked by Ed Miliband and other senior ministers who questioned whether having a positive relationship with the US was ‘a good thing right now for the Labour Party’.
Asked whether Mr Miliband was now in charge of foreign policy, the PM’s spokesman said: ‘Clearly the PM and Foreign Secretary have been key players in decision-making around this, along with key members of the Cabinet, as you would expect.’
The Prime Minister has sought to play down the rift, saying the special relationship is ‘in operation right now’ as the two countries share intelligence and work together on the response
Smoke and fire rise from the site of airstrikes at Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran on March 7
Sir Keir has also faced a growing chorus of criticism from allies in the Middle East over the lack of preparations that led to Cyprus looking for military support from France, Italy and Spain – rather than Britain – after RAF Akrotiri on the island was hit by an Iranian drone.Â
RAF Akrotiri was targeted on Sunday night and again on Monday, after Sir Keir eventually gave America the green light to use joint US/UK bases, more than 24 hours after Washington began its operation by taking out Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.Â
On Thursday night, Trump told the New York Post: ‘It was very disappointing – his performance, having to do with our tremendous attack on a hostile nation.
‘I was very surprised at Keir. Very disappointed.’
The PM made a partial U-turn on Sunday, saying US jets would be able to fly from British bases for the ‘limited’ objective of destroying Iranian missile launchers and stockpiles.
He told MPs on Monday that an estimated 300,000 British nationals in the Gulf region were ‘at risk’ as Tehran targeted hotels and airports.
But he ruled out going further, saying he would not participate in US-led attempts to bring about ‘regime change from the skies’.
Trump said the PM took ‘far too long’ to lift the ban on US forces flying from RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed the US started using British bases for ‘specific defensive operations to prevent Iran firing missiles into the region’ after American bombers landed at a Gloucestershire base.
A first 146ft B-1 Lancer arrived at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on Friday evening and three more followed on Saturday morning.
A Merlin helicopter is also being sent to the region to help with surveillance from the air and RAF Typhoon and F-35 jets are continuing air operations over Jordan, Qatar and Cyprus.
The US President said he was ‘very disappointed in Keir’ over his attempts to hand sovereignty of the strategically vital Diego Garcia to Mauritius.
Sir Keir acknowledged that Trump had ‘expressed his disagreement’, but insisted it was in Britain’s national interest to abide strictly by international law.
He told MPs repeatedly that any military action had to have a ‘lawful basis’ and a ‘viable thought-through plan’ – and suggested the US had neither.
In a newspaper interview on Tuesday, the US President said Sir Keir had ‘not been helpful’ and had put the special relationship in peril after failing to back his war with Iran.
Trump said it was ‘very sad’ that relations between Britain and America are now ‘not like it used to be’.
Blaming Sir Keir directly, Trump said: ‘He has not been helpful. I never thought I’d see that.
‘I never thought I’d see that from the UK. We love the UK. It’s very sad to see that the relationship is obviously not what it was.
‘This was the most solid relationship of all. And now we have very strong relationships with other countries in Europe.
‘It’s not going to matter, but (Sir Keir) should have helped… he should have. I mean, France has been great. They’ve all been great. The UK has been much different from others.’
He even suggested that the PM’s decision ‘could be’ because he is pandering to Muslim voters as the Labour leader was accused of ‘pearl-clutching’ over US attacks on Iran that wiped out Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Trump said that he ‘loves’ the UK and its people but added it is ‘not such a recognisable country’ anymore.
‘Stop people from coming in from foreign lands who hate you,’ he told the PM.
Trump’s broadside leaves US-UK relations in a parlous state and is likely to provide further ammunition to the many critics who have accused Sir Keir of damaging Britain’s standing on the global stage.
The US President also repeated his frequent criticism of immigration and energy policies in the UK, saying: ‘I love that country, my mother was born there. But the UK, what they’re doing with energy and what they’re doing with immigration is horrible.’
He urged Sir Keir to ‘open up the North Sea’ and vented about ‘windmills all over the place that are ruining the country, ruining the landscapes, ruining the beautiful fields’.
In an earlier post, Trump appeared to warn that more Iranian officials would become targets in the war, adding: ‘Today Iran will be hit very hard!’
Questions linger over the UK’s future role in the conflict, with Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy suggesting RAF jets could legally strike Iranian missile sites being used to attack British interests in the Middle East.
Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, has signalled that the UK could join more proactive strikes in future, saying ‘campaigns and conflicts evolve over time’.
The Iranian ambassador to the UK told the BBC the UK should be ‘very careful’ about becoming further involved in the war.
Britain has faced further criticism from allies over the defence of Cyprus, where a UK base was struck by a drone earlier this week.
Air defence destroyer HMS Dragon is not expected to sail to the eastern Mediterranean until next week while France and Greece have already deployed military assets to defend the island.
One reason it is taking some time to prepare the Type 45 destroyer is because it is being equipped to remain at sea for several months if required, rather than rushed into the eastern Mediterranean for a short period.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch meanwhile accused the Prime Minister of being ‘too scared to make foreign interventions’ and said the UK is ‘in this war whether Keir Starmer likes it or not’ in a speech on Saturday.
Sir Keir has defended his decision not to permit the US to use British bases in the opening assault against the Tehran regime, suggesting it could have been unlawful and arguing the Government must keep a ‘cool head’.
The Prime Minister agreed on Sunday to allow the US to strike Iran defensively from Fairford and Diego Garcia, an island in the Indian Ocean.
Writing in the Sunday Mirror, Sir Keir said at moments like this the country needs ‘seriousness, not political games’.
He said: ‘While opposition parties seek to undermine Britain on the world stage, my Labour Government is focused on protecting British people at home and abroad.’
Sir Tony Blair has also weighed in, saying at a private event that he thought the UK should have supported Trump right away.
‘I am not saying anything that I haven’t already said to the government… I think we should have backed America from the very beginning,’ the former Labour prime minister told an event hosted by Jewish News.