U.S. President Donald Trump said the Britain-U.S. relationship is “obviously not what it was,” as Britain reaffirmed its decision not to join the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, British media reported on Tuesday.
Speaking to The Sun, Trump said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has “not been helpful.”
“I never thought I’d see that. I never thought I’d see that from the UK,” Trump said, adding: “It’s very sad to see that the relationship is obviously not what it was.”
Trump said he is “very disappointed” in Starmer for blocking him from using the military base in Diego Garcia to carry out strikes on Iran.
Britain’s previous refusal to let U.S. forces use the base was unlike anything that had “happened between our countries before,” Trump said.
In Sunday’s statement, Starmer accepted the U.S. request to use the base for “specific and limited defensive purposes.” But Trump said Starmer “took far too long” to change his mind.
Starmer on Monday told the British parliament that Britain is not joining the U.S. and Israeli “offensive strikes” on Iran.
“President Trump has expressed his disagreement with our decision not to get involved in the initial strikes, but it is my duty to judge what is in Britain’s national interest,” he said.
