President Donald Trump sharply criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer today, saying the United Kingdom is only considering joining the military campaign against Iran after the United States has already achieved victory.
Trump made the remarks in a post on Truth Social, responding to reports that Britain may send naval forces to the region. “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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “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!”
His comments came after Britain’s Ministry of Defence confirmed that one of the country’s two aircraft carriers had been placed on heightened readiness at Portsmouth in preparation for a possible deployment to the Middle East, according to the BBC.
A British destroyer, HMS Dragon, is also stationed in Portsmouth and preparing to depart for Cyprus after earlier delays.
Starmer has emphasized that the United Kingdom did not participate in the recent strikes but said British forces are still active in the region in a defensive role.
In remarks to the British public on Sunday, Starmer condemned Iran’s response to the U.S. strikes and described Tehran’s actions as dangerous.
He criticized what he called “indiscriminate” attacks by Iran after the U.S. strikes, adding, “The only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at source.”
Starmer also confirmed that Britain agreed to a U.S. request to allow American forces to use British military bases for what he described as a limited purpose.
Trump also voiced frustration in comments to the Telegraph in the U.K., saying he was unhappy with the timing of Britain’s decision.
He told the newspaper he was “very disappointed” in Starmer and argued that it “took far too long” for the prime minister to authorize the use of British bases for U.S. operations.
Meanwhile, Britain has increased its military presence across the region. According to the Ministry of Defence, British fighter aircraft are conducting flights over Jordan, Cyprus, and Qatar as part of regional defense efforts, and a Merlin helicopter is being deployed to support aerial surveillance operations.
Starmer said his government’s approach is focused on stability and responsible leadership during the crisis.
“While the region has been plunged into chaos, my focus is providing calm, levelheaded leadership in the national interest,” Starmer said this week. “That means deploying our military and diplomatic strength to protect our people.
“And it means having the strength to stand firm by our values and our principles, no matter the pressure to do otherwise. The longstanding British position is that the best way forward for the regime and world is a negotiated settlement with Iran where they give up their nuclear ambitions.”
Starmer said that position is why Britain chose not to participate in the initial joint strikes carried out by the United States and Israel on February 28.
Speaking in Parliament this week, he also stressed that any British military action must meet strict legal and strategic standards.
“We all remember the mistakes of Iraq, and we have learned those lessons. Any U.K. actions must always have a lawful basis, and a viable, thought-through plan,” Starmer said. “This government does not believe in regime change from the skies.”
Former British Prime Minister Liz Truss weighed in on the dispute, sharing Trump’s Truth Social comments on X and writing, “Justified and damning.”
{Matzav.com}
