Trump says US-UK ties ‘not what they were’ after dispute over Iran strikes

2026-03-03 - 14:53

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump said the US-British relationship is “not what it was” after criticizing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for delaying approval for US forces to use UK airbases in strikes on Iran.In a telephone interview with The Sun published Tuesday, Trump said he was “very sad” to see the relationship had changed.“It’s a different world, actually. It’s just a much different kind of relationship that we’ve had with your country before. It’s very sad to see that the relationship is obviously not what it was,” he said.Trump said Starmer had taken “far too long” to allow US access to British bases and compared the UK’s position unfavorably with France’s support and backing from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.“He has not been helpful. I never thought I’d see that. I never thought I’d see that from the UK. We love the UK,” Trump said.Starmer said Monday that Britain did not believe in “regime change from the skies,” defending his initial decision not to authorize the use of UK bases for the first wave of strikes.However, he said the situation shifted Sunday after what he described as Iran’s “outrageous” response posed a threat to British citizens and allies. A drone headed toward a British base in Cyprus was intercepted the same day.Starmer has since agreed to a US request to allow the use of British military bases for what he described as “defensive” strikes on Iranian missile sites.Opposition Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused the government of being “too scared” to take a firmer stance against Iran.