Donald Trump slams UK PM Keir Starmer as London weighs sending carriers to Middle East

The remarks mark the latest escalation in tensions between Washington and London, traditionally close military allies.

Trump has repeatedly criticised British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in recent days, suggesting earlier this week that the British leader had helped “ruin” the countries’ historically strong relationship after London initially blocked the United States from using British bases to launch strikes on Iran.

In a post on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump said he would remember Britain’s limited support during the conflict.

“The United Kingdom, our once great ally, maybe the greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East,” Trump wrote.

“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,” he added.

The comments came after the UK Ministry of Defence said on Saturday it was preparing the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales for a possible deployment to the Middle East.

However, a British official said no final decision had yet been taken on whether the carrier would be sent to the region.

Starmer has defended his decision not to initially allow US forces to use British bases for strikes on Iran, saying he needed to ensure that any military action was legal and properly planned.

The British leader later granted permission for US forces to use the bases for what he described as defensive operations targeting Iranian missile storage sites and launchers.

Relations between the two leaders have been strained in recent months.

Starmer earlier criticised Trump’s proposal to buy Greenland and called the former US president’s remarks suggesting European troops avoided frontline combat in the war in Afghanistan “frankly appalling”.