Israel Trump's feud with the UK: "Will remember"
US President Donald Trump has further strained relations with his once closest ally by once again making derisively critical statements about British support in the Iran war. "We don't need people who join the war after we've already won it," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. The US President attacked British Prime Minister Keir Starmer by name.
08.03.2026, 13:57
SDA
According to media reports, the planned deployment of a British aircraft carrier to the conflict region, Trump wrote of two, was no longer necessary. "That's okay, Prime Minister Starmer, we don't need them now - but we'll remember." A little later, Trump said on board the presidential aircraft Air Force One: "Two weeks ago, we could have used them."
The British had only given the US armed forces permission to use their bases for the war against Iran after a delay. The Ministry of Defense in London announced that it was also now a matter of "specific defence operations". US long-range bombers landed at the British air force base in Fairford at the weekend and British fighter jets are deployed in the crisis region to defend against drones and missiles.
However, Starmer's government does not want to take part in direct attacks on Iran - which also has to do with the recent past. The people of the United Kingdom continue to hold it against former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair that he followed the USA into the Iraq war in 2003. The invasion and all its consequences are now seen as a disaster in the UK.
Starmer's "calm, level-headed approach"
The British tried to limit the damage the morning after the US President's criticism. The Prime Minister would not resort to "rhetoric or hyperbole" and would concentrate on a "calm, level-headed approach to decision-making", said Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper on Sky News. People should focus on content, not social media posts.
The style of Starmer's politics is different. "And I think this calm, level-headed approach to these big, serious international issues - I think that's right," said the Prime Minister's party colleague. This was also generally more in keeping with the British character. Cooper said it was about "making sure that we actually learn from some of the things that have gone wrong in Iraq".
Blair is now considered a close ally of Trump. The former prime minister plays a role on the US president's controversial peace council and on a committee tasked with implementing the council's goals in the Gaza Strip. The Daily Mail quoted Blair at the weekend as saying that he believes the UK should have supported the US from the outset.
Trump's sweeping attack on allies
In addition to the UK, Trump also sharply criticized Spain a week ago. During the meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) at the White House, the US President was outraged that the Spanish had forbidden the use of their bases. "They were unfriendly," said Trump, who had expressly praised the German stance.
Without mentioning Starmer's name, Trump said that they were not dealing with Winston Churchill. The legendary prime minister had led the British and their allies through the Second World War. Churchill also had great decision-making power in the overthrow of the democratically elected Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh in 1953, which was initiated by the USA and Great Britain.
It is difficult to predict how long Trump's anger at Starmer and the British course will last. In principle, the US president with a Scottish mother is considered a great admirer of the United Kingdom, and last September he was celebrated during a state visit to King Charles III. In return, the King is also expected to visit the USA this year to celebrate 250 years of independence.
Starmer's domestic political problems
For the British Prime Minister, the US President's verbal attacks come at a time when he is already struggling with numerous crises. In the local elections in May, he is facing a clear defeat against the right-wing populist Reform UK party led by Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage. Due to the involvement of the British ambassador to the USA, Peter Mandelson, who was recalled as a result, in the scandal surrounding sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Starmer's resignation at the end of last year seemed almost unavoidable.
"While the opposition parties seek to undermine Britain on the world stage, my Labour government is focused on protecting British citizens at home and abroad," Starmer wrote in a guest article for the Sunday Mirror newspaper, which was written before Trump's latest attacks.
