United States President Donald Trump has publicly rebuked British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, saying the U.S. no longer needs Britain’s planned deployment of aircraft carriers to the Middle East following tensions over the early stages of the conflict with Iran.
In a message posted online, Trump on the evening of March 7 dismissed the proposed British military contribution and suggested the United States had already achieved its objectives without London’s support.
“The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, may be the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East. 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!”
Trump attacks Starmer over early strikes
Tensions between the two leaders intensified earlier in the week after Britain declined to allow U.S. forces to launch the initial wave of strikes on Iranian targets from British-controlled bases.
The disagreement reportedly frustrated Trump, who believed allied facilities could have shortened flight times for American bombers and simplified operational planning.
Although Britain eventually permitted U.S. access to certain facilities, including the strategic Indian Ocean base at Diego Garcia, the delay sparked visible irritation in Washington.
Speaking to reporters early this week, Trump accused Britain of being slow to cooperate.
“It’s taken three or four days just to work out where we can land,” he said at one point, criticizing what he described as unnecessary hesitation from a long-standing ally.
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Starmer defended the British government’s decision not to authorize offensive operations from UK territory during the initial phase of the conflict.
Addressing lawmakers in Parliament, he said his government had to balance alliance commitments with Britain’s legal obligations and national interests.
“It is my duty to judge what is in Britain’s national interest,” Starmer said. “That is what I have done, and I stand by it.”
The prime minister also emphasized that Britain had still agreed to provide support for defensive operations, including allowing U.S. forces to operate from certain bases.
Sky News on Saturday reported that the UK has put the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales on higher readiness for a possible Middle East deployment, cutting its mobilisation time to five days.
Crews have reportedly been alerted following the US and Israeli war against Iran, though no deployment decision has been made.
Growing friction
Starmer had voiced concern about the broader implications of the military campaign saying that the United Kingdom does not support “regime change from the skies.”
The prime minister added that the UK would not participate in offensive operations but would allow U.S. forces to operate from its facilities for defensive purposes to protect allied troops and citizens in the region.
American forces have since been allowed to use British bases to launch defensive strikes against Iranian missile infrastructure.
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During remarks earlier this week, President Trump compared Starmer unfavorably to Britain’s wartime leader Winston Churchill.
“This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with,” Trump said, implying Britain’s current leadership lacked the decisiveness of past alliances.
The comments drew backlash from British lawmakers and diplomats, who warned that public disputes risk weakening Western unity during a volatile geopolitical crisis.
Spain had earlier refused to allow U.S. forces to use bases on its territory for operations against Iran, prompting Trump to threaten economic retaliation.
The United States is expanding its naval presence in the region, with Fox News reporting that the Pentagon is preparing to deploy a third aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East.
According to the report, a third aircraft carrier strike group centered around the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) is preparing to deploy toward the Middle East after completing its final certification exercises.
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