How the Iran War Is Splintering U.K.-U.S Relations as Trump Turns on Starmer

The once seemingly robust relationship between the U.K. and the U.S. is fracturing, with U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at odds amid the widening Iran war. “The U.K. has been very, very uncooperative with that stupid island that they have,” said Trump during an Oval Office briefing alongside visiting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday. Trump was referring to the Chagos Islands, home to the joint U.K.-U.S. airbase Diego Garcia, which the U.K. now leases after it returned the sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius last year—a move Trump called an “act of great stupidity.” Starmer initially refused to allow the U.S. military to use the base to send defensive missiles to Iran. He walked back that decision Sunday night, framing it as the “best way to eliminate the urgent threat and prevent the situation spiralling further.” But for Trump, the course reversal happened far too late. “It’s taken three or four days for us to work out where we can land. It would have been much more convenient landing there, as opposed to flying many extra hours,” he said during Tuesday’s briefing.  “He ruins relationships. We are very surprised. This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with,” Trump added, taking aim at Starmer’s leadership. The remarks were yet another indication that the two leaders are no longer in alignment. Starmer defended his position once more in the House of Commons on Wednesday, arguing he’s not prepared for the United Kingdom to join a war that doesn’t have a plan. “We need to act with clarity, with purpose, and with a cool head. The protection of U.K. nationals is our number one priority,” he said, highlighting how the U.K. has planes in the region, intercepting incoming strikes. When pressed on how his response might have hindered U.K.-U.S. relations, Starmer issued a defiant statement. “American planes operating out of British bases, that is the special relationship in action… hanging on to President Trump’s latest words is not,” he said. After launching the U.S-Israeli military action over the weekend, which resulted in the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Trump made a series of remarks to British media, lashing out at Starmer’s initial refusal to grant access to U.K. bases. “That’s probably never happened between our countries before… It sounds like he was worried about the legality,” he said in one interview. “It’s very sad to see that the [U.K.-U.S.] relationship is obviously not what it was,” he remarked in another. Meanwhile, the U.K. has maintained its position not to join offensive action against Iran, instead focusing on stepping up defensive efforts after Iranian-made drones targeted a British airbase in Akrotiri, Cyprus. Starmer has ordered for the HMS Dragon warship to be deployed in the region to assist in the defense of British bases and partners. It has also taken part in joint operations, including with Qatar, to intercept drones in the Gulf region. The Ministry of Defence confirmed that Britain has shot down drones in Jordanian and Iraqi airspace.  Early signs of strife in the U.K.-U.S. alliance Signs of tension between Trump and Starmer started to show earlier this year over policies and approaches to geopolitical matters. The U.S. President has repeatedly criticized the U.K.’s decision to give the Chagos Islands back to Mauritius after a decades-long dispute, despite the State Department praising the move last year. Starmer also broke ranks with Trump when the President threatened to tariff European allies until Denmark relents and sells the territory of Greenland—a position he swiftly walked back on. Starmer called the threat “completely wrong” and said a trade war was “in no one’s interest.” In late January, the pair disagreed again after Trump targeted NATO allies, falsely claiming that troops from other countries “stayed a little back” from the frontlines during the war in Afghanistan. Starmer called the comments “insulting and, frankly, appalling,” while paying tribute to the 457 British armed personnel that died during service in Afghanistan. Trump later appeared to walk back his comments, saying that the soldiers of the U.K. “will always be with the United States” as the bond is “too strong to ever be broken.” Prior to all this, Trump and Starmer appeared to have established a burgeoning working relationship. In 2025, during his first visit to the White House following Trump’s inauguration, Starmer presented the President with a letter from King Charles III, inviting Trump to an historic second state visit to the U.K. The visit proved to be a show of unity between the two leaders, as they signed the billion-dollar Tech Prosperity Deal. The two nations had earlier reached a trade agreement, lessening the blow of U.S-imposed tariffs after Trump’s self-appointed “Liberation Day” announcement of global trade charges sparked concern in April 2025.