Gulf War: ‘We Don’t Need You Anymore’, Trump Tells UK

Gulf War: ‘We Don’t Need You Anymore’, Trump Tells UK

A diplomatic rift appears to be widening between the United States and the United Kingdom after US President Donald Trump said Washington no longer requires British military support in the ongoing conflict with Iran.

Trump made the remark in a post on the social media platform Truth Social, responding to reports that the British government had placed one of its flagship aircraft carriers, the HMS Prince of Wales, on high readiness for possible deployment to the Middle East.

“The United Kingdom, our once great ally, maybe the greatest of them all, is finally considering sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East,” Trump wrote. “That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer. We don’t need people that join wars after we’ve already won.”

The comment, which described Britain as a “once great ally”, has further strained relations between Washington and London amid the escalating war involving the United States, Israel and Iran.

The conflict, which began on February 28 when the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iranian targets, has since spread tensions across the Middle East, raising fears of a wider regional confrontation.

Iran has responded with retaliatory attacks targeting US allies and installations across the region, with reported casualties in several countries.

Estimates indicate that more than 1,300 people have been killed in Iran since the fighting began, while the US military has confirmed the deaths of six American service members. Additional fatalities have also been reported in Lebanon, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq.

Despite Trump’s remarks, the British government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer has gradually increased its involvement in the crisis, though officials insist the country is not directly participating in offensive operations.

Britain’s Ministry of Defence confirmed that the government had permitted the United States to use certain military facilities for what it described as limited defensive purposes.

The installations include RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and the strategic base on Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean.

Initially, reports had suggested that London had declined Washington’s request to use the bases, but the government later clarified that the facilities could be used in specific circumstances.

Starmer had earlier appeared cautious about deeper involvement in the conflict. Alongside the leaders of France and Germany, he issued a joint statement stressing that any Western response would be defensive and aimed at protecting regional security.

“We will take steps to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region,” the statement said, adding that the three countries would coordinate closely with the United States and regional partners.

The British prime minister has also faced pressure at home over the government’s stance on the war.

Addressing Parliament earlier in the week, Starmer insisted that Britain was not participating in US and Israeli offensive strikes against Iran.

“We are not joining the offensive operations,” he said, emphasising that the government’s priority remained the protection of British citizens and national interests.

Public opinion in the United Kingdom has also reflected unease about the conflict.

A recent survey by polling firm Survation found that 43 percent of British respondents considered the war unjustified, while a majority supported the government’s initial reluctance to grant the US full access to its military bases.

Anti-war sentiment spilled onto the streets of London on Saturday, when thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the US Embassy to protest the growing conflict and call for an end to military escalation.

Meanwhile, tensions between Trump and the British government have been building over several issues since the US president returned to office last year.

Earlier this month, during a meeting at the White House with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump publicly criticised the British prime minister, saying he was “not happy with the UK”.

“This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with,” Trump said, referring to the wartime British leader Winston Churchill, whom the US president has frequently praised.

Trump has also attacked Starmer’s decision to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius following a ruling by the International Court of Justice that Britain had acted unlawfully in separating the islands from Mauritius in 1965.

Although the agreement allows the US and the UK to retain their joint military base on Diego Garcia, Trump has criticised the move, describing it as “an act of great stupidity”.

Relations were further strained earlier this year when Trump suggested that some NATO allies had avoided front-line responsibilities during the US-led war in Afghanistan.

Starmer responded by calling the remarks insulting.

As the Middle East conflict intensifies, Trump’s latest comments are likely to deepen the diplomatic divide between Washington and one of its closest traditional allies.