2 months ago
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has spoken to U.S. President Donald Trump to sermon the concern successful West Asia aft the U.S. President had been highly captious of the U.K.’s response to the strikes connected Iran.
Mr. Trump took to societal media to disregard Starmer’s program to nonstop craft carriers to the portion arsenic an effort to articulation wars “already won”.
Downing Street released a readout of the Trump-Starmer telephone connected Sunday (March 8, 2026), seen arsenic an effort to creaseless implicit the alleged U.K.-U.S. “special relationship”.
"The leaders began by discussing the latest concern successful the Middle East and the subject practice betwixt the U.K. and U.S. done the usage of RAF [Royal Air Force] bases successful enactment of the corporate self-defence of partners successful the region," a 10 Downing Street spokesperson said.
"The Prime Minister besides shared his heartfelt condolences with President Trump and the American radical pursuing the deaths of six U.S. soldiers. They looked guardant to speaking again soon," the spokesperson said.
It came aft the Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed that 1 of the U.K.'s 2 craft carriers has been placed connected precocious readiness, with the unit of HMS Prince of Wales docked successful Portsmouth told they indispensable beryllium acceptable to permission wrong days.
"The United Kingdom, our erstwhile Great Ally, possibly the Greatest of them all, is yet giving superior thought to sending 2 craft carriers to the Middle East," Mr. Trump wrote connected Truth Social soon after.
"That's OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don't request them immoderate longer — But we volition remember. We don't request radical that articulation Wars aft we've already won!," helium wrote.
Later, speaking connected Air Force One successful effect to a question astir the usage of U.K. bases successful the associated Israeli strikes connected Iran, helium added: "We don't request them [aircraft carriers]. It's not the close time. It would person been bully to person them 2 weeks ago."
Mr. Starmer has firmly defended his determination to instrumentality a much antiaircraft stance successful the conflict, reiterating connected Monday that his Labour Party authorities was “working circular the timepiece to support British citizens safe”.
“I cognize that radical are disquieted sick for friends and household arsenic the struggle successful the Middle East continues," helium said.
“Staff are connected the crushed to enactment those successful need, authorities provided flights are helping radical get home, and our tireless Armed Forces are flying crossed the portion to support our allies and our interests,” helium said.
Downing Street said booking has opened for British nationals successful Dubai wanting to entree U.K. government-provided flights, alongside further commercialized flights disposable to instrumentality to the U.K. amid the ongoing conflict.
Four further Typhoon jets person present arrived successful Qatar, and a Merlin chopper is en way to RAF Akrotiri to bolster our defences successful Cyprus, it said.
Meanwhile, HMS Dragon, which has aerial defence capabilities, is acceptable to sail for the Mediterranean by adjacent week to bolster information astir the RAF basal successful Akrotiri successful Cyprus.
The U.S.-Israel strikes connected Iran person divided views crossed the U.K., with the Opposition Conservatives accusing Starmer of a anemic effect by not joining the American warfare efforts and for being “too scared” of upsetting a conception of the Labour electorate.
Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat person Sir Ed Davey has called for a scheduled State Visit by King Charles III to the U.S. adjacent period to beryllium called off.
"At a clip erstwhile Trump has launched an amerciable warfare that is devastating the Middle East and pushing up vigor bills for British families, it's wide this sojourn should not spell ahead,” helium said.
"A State Visit from our King would beryllium seen arsenic yet different immense diplomatic coup for President Trump, truthful it should not beryllium fixed to idiosyncratic who repeatedly insults and damages our country," Mr. Davey said.
