Trump says he is ‘very sad’ that the UK-US relationship is ‘not what it was’

Donald Trump escalated his criticism of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in a fresh indication of how strained the two allies’ relationship has become over the US president’s efforts to enlist the UK’s help in its strikes against Iran.

Starmer — who declined a US request to use British bases for offensive operations against the Islamic republic — has “not been helpful,” Trump said in an interview with The Sun tabloid. “It’s very sad to see that the relationship is obviously not what it was.”

Speaking to The Sun from the White House on Monday evening, Trump compared Starmer’s actions unfavourably with France’s support for the strikes and with the backing of the Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte.

“He has not been helpful. I never thought I’d see that. I never thought I’d see that from the UK. We love the UK,” he said.

In a significant and rare break from Washington on foreign policy, Starmer said on Monday that the UK did not believe in “regime change from the skies” as he defended his decision not to allow the use of UK bases for the initial wave of attacks.

But the prime minister said the situation changed on Sunday when Iran’s “outrageous” response became a threat to British people and British allies.

He has now agreed to the US request to use British military bases for “defensive” strikes on Iranian missile sites.

The Tory leader, Kemi Badenoch, accused the government of being “too scared” to take a stronger stance against Iran.

We will mainly be focusing on the UK political reaction to the rapid developments in the Israel-US war on Iran today, as the conflict spirals across the region with the Israeli military launching new strikes on Tehran and Beirut.

You can follow our business live blog to keep up with market reaction as the war drives up oil and gas prices after Iran expanded its retaliatory attacks on American targets in the Gulf region.