President Donald Trump escalates criticism of UK PM Keir Starmer for initial refusal on US base use, straining the ‘special relationship’ amid Middle East tensions.
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump intensified his criticism of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday. He expressed dissatisfaction with Britain’s initial refusal to allow American warplanes to use UK bases for strikes against Iran.
“The UK has been very, very uncooperative,” Trump stated during a White House appearance with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. He lamented that the historical US-UK relationship is “not like it used to be” and claimed it took days to arrange landing permissions.
Trump specifically contrasted Starmer with the iconic wartime leader. “This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with,” he said.
The diplomatic friction stems from Starmer’s initial refusal to involve the UK in Washington’s conflict with Iran. The Prime Minister told parliament his government “does not believe in regime change from the skies”.
Starmer later authorised the use of two British bases for a “specific and limited defensive purpose”. The approved sites are RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and the joint UK-US facility on Diego Garcia.
Government minister Darren Jones defended the cautious approach. He said the UK would only join military action with a clear “legal basis” and a plan serving national interest.
“We all remember the mistakes of Iraq, and we have learnt those lessons,” Starmer emphasised in parliament. He confirmed the RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus was “not being used by US bombers”.
Separately, Starmer announced the deployment of helicopters and HMS Dragon to bolster Cyprus’s defences. This followed a drone attack on a British base there early Monday.
A spokesman for Starmer said the UK and US “remained staunch allies”. He highlighted decades of cooperation on national security and trade.
Analyst Evie Aspinall said Starmer walks a “very tight diplomatic tightrope” with the US. She noted the relationship remains critical in broader geopolitical contexts.
The Sun Malaysia
