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‘That's ok, don't need them any longer': Trump rebukes Starmer after UK mulls carriers to Iran
This comes amid the latest clash between the longtime military allies, whose relationship has fluctuated since Donald Trump took office in the US.
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he did not need Britain’s help to win the war with Iran, although London was giving "serious thought" to sending two aircraft carriers to West Asia.
This comes amid the latest clash between the longtime military allies, whose relationship has fluctuated since Trump took office in the US. The Republican leader said in a post on Truth Social that he "will remember" the lack of British support during the conflict with Iran.
"The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, may be 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!” he said in the post.
Trump has repeatedly criticised British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, suggesting this week that he helped "ruin" the countries' historically close relationship after London blocked initial US use of British bases to attack Iran.
Keir Starmer has defended his decision not to allow US forces to use British bases to support initial strikes on Iran, saying he needed to be satisfied that any military action was legal and well planned.
He later granted US forces permission to use British bases for what he called defensive strikes against Iranian missiles in storage depots or launchers.
What Britain said on aircraft carriers
Donald Trump's comments can be seen in the light of a statement by Britain's defence ministry, which said on Saturday that it was preparing the Prince of Wales aircraft carrier for possible deployment.
But no final decision has been taken about whether to send it to West Asia, a British official quoted by Reuters said.
Wars in West Asia are a touchy subject in Britain after the Iraq debacle, where then-Prime Minister Tony Blair apologised years later for invading the country in 2003 when the US said Saddam Hussein's regime had weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Those weapons were never found.
