US President Donald Trump has sharply criticised British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for initially refusing to allow the United States to launch strikes on Iran from UK military bases, describing him as “not Winston Churchill.”
Speaking to reporters, Trump expressed frustration over what he called delays in granting access to Diego Garcia, a joint UK-US military base in the Indian Ocean. Although Britain later agreed to allow its use for certain operations, Trump said the hesitation strained relations between the two allies.
“It would have been much more convenient,” Trump said, adding that the decision marked a departure from the traditionally close military cooperation between Washington and London.
Starmer defended his government’s stance, telling Parliament that the UK does not support “regime change from the skies” and must act in Britain’s national interest. He said the UK would permit the use of bases such as Diego Garcia and RAF Fairford for defensive purposes, including protecting British citizens and allied forces in the region.
The exchange marks the third public criticism by Trump of Starmer within 24 hours, highlighting tensions among Western allies following the US-Israeli military action against Iran.
Meanwhile, political reaction in the UK has been divided. A recent YouGov poll found that nearly half of Britons oppose the US strikes on Iran, while support for allowing US forces to use British bases remains limited.
European leaders have struggled to present a unified position as the Middle East conflict intensifies, with some governments resisting direct involvement in military operations.
