US President Donald Trump says the historic US-UK bond has weakened over Britain’s cautious stance on military action against Iran.
LONDON: US President Donald Trump has declared the historic “special relationship” between the United States and Britain is “not like it used to be”. His comments follow a diplomatic dispute over UK support for US-Israeli military action against Iran.
Trump told The Sun newspaper that the bond was once “the most solid relationship of all”. He contrasted it with now having “very strong relationships with other countries in Europe,” specifically naming France and Germany.
The friction stems from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s initial refusal to involve the UK in the US conflict with Iran. Starmer later agreed to a limited US request to use two British military bases for defensive purposes.
Trump said Starmer had “not been helpful,” adding, “I never thought I’d see that from the UK. We love the UK.” He concluded the relationship is “very sad” and “obviously not what it was.”
Starmer told parliament his government “does not believe in regime change from the skies”. He stated involvement required a “legal basis” and a “clear plan” in the UK’s national interest.
Government minister Darren Jones defended the stance, saying, “That’s why we were not involved in the initial strikes in Iran.” He confirmed two UK bases were cleared for US use for defensive operations.
Starmer’s office said he authorised the base use after Iranian missile fire put British interests “at risk”. The prime minister emphasised, “We all remember the mistakes of Iraq, and we have learnt those lessons.”
The 2003 Iraq war remains politically sensitive in Britain. An official inquiry found former PM Tony Blair acted on flawed intelligence to join the US-led invasion.
Analyst Evie Aspinall said Starmer walks a “very tight diplomatic tightrope”. She noted the UK wants to support the US to protect its security and show value on issues like Ukraine.
Aspinall added the UK is also “deeply cautious of working closely with an increasingly unreliable United States”. She said the US undertakes actions that “don’t align with UK interests.”
The Sun Malaysia
