Donald Trump has renewed his criticism of Keir Starmer regarding the Prime Minister’s initial hesitation to allow American forces to use British airbases during the escalating conflict with Iran.
This renewed attack comes as the Israeli Defence Forces indicated they are entering the “next phase” of their campaign against Tehran, aiming to degrade the regime’s military capabilities further.
US and Israeli airstrikes have continued into the sixth day of the conflict, with residents in Tehran reporting feelings of fear and exhaustion due to the sustained bombardment.
Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, the chief of staff of the Israeli military, stated that the allied campaign has “strategically isolated” Iran, placing it in a position of unprecedented weakness.
In an interview with the New York Post, Trump was asked about a report from The Daily Telegraph, which claimed he had privately labelled Starmer a “loser.”
He reiterated a previous comment, saying, “Well, he’s not Winston Churchill, let me put it that way.”
Trump suggested that the British government should cooperate more closely with American military operations, expressing surprise at the Prime Minister’s response in the initial days of the conflict.
In defence of his decision not to support the initial US-Israeli strikes, Starmer asserted that diplomacy remains the best method to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. During a press conference at Downing Street on Thursday, he emphasised that Britain has “the strength to uphold our values and principles, regardless of outside pressure.”
The Prime Minister reiterated Britain’s longstanding position that Tehran should abandon its nuclear ambitions through negotiation, while also urging efforts to “de-escalate” the crisis. Nevertheless, the government later approved the use of the joint UK-US base at Diego Garcia, as well as RAF Fairford, for American operations deemed “defensive,” aimed at protecting regional allies from Iranian attacks.
Additionally, Britain has moved to strengthen its military presence in the Gulf, with four additional Eurofighter Typhoon jets scheduled to deploy to Doha, Qatar.
Despite the rising tensions, Trump adopted a somewhat softer tone regarding his personal relationship with Starmer. He stated, “I get along well with Keir,” but added, “Sometimes he doesn’t do things that he should be doing.”
