US president Donald Trump said it was "very sad to see" the deterioration of the so-called special relationship between Washington and London after Britain initially declined to back US strikes on Iran.
Speaking to The Sun, Trump criticised British prime minister Keir Starmer for hesitating over support for the assault on Tehran, suggesting the UK had become a more reluctant partner. "This was the most solid relationship of all," Trump said, contrasting Britain's stance with what he described as strong ties with France and Germany.
Starmer has said Britain did not participate directly in the US-Israeli strikes because any military action must have a "viable, thought-through plan," and he rejected the idea of "regime change from the skies." However, he later allowed the US to use UK bases for what he described as limited, defensive operations after Iran targeted American allies in the region. A British base in Cyprus was also hit by a drone, reportedly linked to Hezbollah...
At home, Starmer faces pressure from both sides. Critics on the left have urged him to condemn the strikes outright, while opposition figures including Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage have accused him of failing to fully support Britain's key security ally.
Starmer defended his approach in parliament, saying he acted in Britain's national interest and emphasising the importance of a clear legal basis for military involvement, a point echoed by senior ministers referencing lessons from the 2003 Iraq war.
Recent polling suggests British public opinion is divided but leans against the US strikes, underscoring the political sensitivity of the issue as tensions test one of the West's longstanding alliances...