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War with Iran strains US-UK relationship as Starmer and Trump clash

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The war with Iran has exposed sharp tensions between Keir Starmer and Donald Trump, straining a trans-Atlantic relationship the British leader had worked carefully to cultivate.

Trump publicly criticised Starmer this week over Britain’s reluctance to join U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. Speaking at the White House, Trump said: “This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with,” accusing the UK of hesitating to allow American warplanes to use British bases.

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In an interview with The Sun, Trump said the relationship with Britain was no longer as strong as before, adding: “It’s very sad to see that the relationship is obviously not what it was.”

Dispute over base access

Starmer initially blocked U.S. aircraft from operating out of British bases during the first wave of strikes. He later agreed to limited use of bases in England and on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for what the UK described as defensive actions targeting Iranian missile sites — but not broader offensive operations.

Even after an Iran-made drone struck the British air base at Akrotiri in Cyprus, Starmer maintained that the UK “will not join offensive action.” He announced that the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon and Wildcat helicopters equipped with counter-drone capabilities were being deployed for defensive purposes. British forces have also intercepted drones in Jordanian and Iraqi airspace.

In the House of Commons, Starmer offered a rare implicit rebuke of the U.S. approach, saying the UK does not believe in “regime change from the skies.”

“Any UK actions must always have a lawful basis and a viable, thought-through plan,” he told lawmakers, adding that while Trump disagreed with Britain’s position, it was his duty to act in the national interest.

Growing friction

The disagreement comes against a backdrop of mounting friction between the two leaders. Trump’s earlier comments about taking control of Greenland were criticised by European governments, including London. More recently, Trump has attacked Britain’s agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands — home to the strategically important Diego Garcia base — to Mauritius.

Peter Ricketts, a former head of the UK Foreign Office, said the U.S. under Trump had “effectively given up on any effort to be consistent with international law,” a stance likely to trouble Starmer, a former chief prosecutor.

Despite the tensions, UK officials insist the “special relationship” remains intact. Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty told Parliament that ties with Washington “have endured, continue to endure, and will endure into the future.”

However, the Iran conflict has highlighted differing approaches to military intervention and international law, raising questions about how closely London and Washington will align as the war continues.


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  Adapted by ASEAN Now · Source · 03.03 2026


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  • SAFETY FIRST
    SAFETY FIRST

    Don't care, it's only the Wokes in the west who have their nappies in a knot. Starmer needs to ManUp

  • SAFETY FIRST
    SAFETY FIRST

    Nope, he took the weak Woke way.

  • spidermike007
    spidermike007

    Don does not like it when any individual or nation speaks truth to toxic power. Any nation has the right to refuse cooperation with this illegitimate war, which was done without the approval of Congre

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4 minutes ago, ASEAN NOW News said:

The war with Iran has exposed sharp tensions between Keir Starmer and Donald Trump,

Don't care, it's only the Wokes in the west who have their nappies in a knot.

Starmer needs to ManUp

  • Popular Post
22 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Don't care, it's only the Wokes in the west who have their nappies in a knot.

Starmer needs to ManUp

Nonsense.

Starmer took the moral high ground.

3 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

Nonsense.

Starmer took the moral high ground.

Nope, he took the weak Woke way.

  • Popular Post
37 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Don't care, it's only the Wokes in the west who have their nappies in a knot.

Starmer needs to ManUp

"Don't care, it's only the Wokes in the west who have their nappies in a knot."

What does that mean? Who are wokes?

Does it mean, from any country / sistuations who respect the law?

On

16 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

Nonsense.

Starmer took the moral high ground.

Which seems to be a 'full respect for the law' approach.

Trump should have nothin to do with the pathetic soy boy Starmer.

Ban him from US soil immediately

  • Popular Post
1 hour ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Don't care, it's only the Wokes in the west who have their nappies in a knot.

Starmer needs to ManUp

Yes, Starmer should be willing to put UK blood and treasure on the line for Trump's "hunch".

No doubt you've gone down to the local Enlistment Office. When do you hit the beaches of Bandar Abbas?

Oh, I forgot. MAGAs let others do their fighting. Can't muss their hair.

  • Popular Post

Don does not like it when any individual or nation speaks truth to toxic power. Any nation has the right to refuse cooperation with this illegitimate war, which was done without the approval of Congress. To attempt to punish a nation for not cooperating is downright juvenile. Who is this clown, and why does he keep imitating the behavior of a highly undeveloped 13-year-old?

Trump embarrasses himself and lowers the dignity of America on a daily basis.

  • Popular Post

I am not a fan of Starmer. Quite the opposite. But in this instance, I agree with him. The debacle in Iraq and Afghanistan has left a nasty taste. Wars cooked up on false information to divert attention at home have left the Middle East in turmoil. Do you think this one will end any better?

1 hour ago, EastBayRay said:

Trump should have nothin to do with the pathetic soy boy Starmer.

Ban him from US soil immediately

I kind of agree that the US should ban Starmer, stop communicating with the UK and let him get on with joining BRICS.

  • Popular Post

Starmer needs to show some backbone and tell Trump where to go. Otherwise he risks being another Tony Blair.

  • Popular Post

As I see it, this basically boils down to Starmer trying to operate like an actual head of government while Trump treats foreign policy like a test of loyalty.

Apparently allies coordinating through established channels is "boring", but allies acting without consulting him personally is a global scandal.

Spain makes its own decision and it's treated as an outrage, while the UK follows international law and it is seen as undermining the Trump‑centric universe.

Is it any wonder the US‑UK relationship looks strained. It’s hard to run a serious coalition when one side keeps turning every crisis into a test of who's willing to kiss arse.

30 minutes ago, Purdey said:

I kind of agree that the US should ban Starmer, stop communicating with the UK and let him get on with joining BRICS.

Starmer would get on well with leaders of brics countries

Dictators

Trump should stop dealing with uk until starmer goes. Ban him from the USA 100%

  • Popular Post

Starmer is 100% right. Stay out of Trump and Netanyahu private war and carnage. Iran doesn't have ICBM that can reach UK. Don't import Iran's wrath to support these 2 madmen.

  • Popular Post

The sooner the UK disabuses itself of this "Special Relationship" fantasy the better. Hopefully Trump will hasten that Damascene moment.

  • Popular Post

Starmer needs to mount Trump and ride him until Trumps ass is sore. That's the way we did it when we still had colonies.

  • Popular Post
27 minutes ago, 1tooth said:

Starmer needs to mount Trump and ride him until Trumps ass is sore. That's the way we did it when we still had colonies.

Trump is very easy to manipulate, you do it with flattery.

Starmer can get away with that woke nonsense left wing gobbledygook rubbish in his own country but in the light of day when reality sets in and the real world raises it's ugly head he really is a pathetic person who, like Australia's Anthony Albanese a.k.a. AnAl,, uses the Fabian Society playbook as his go to for decision-making

  • Popular Post
3 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I haven't got time to answer needless questions.

Then I suggest that you stop making pointless/needless posts that need answers so that the needless/pointless post(s) can be understood and put into the context of the discussion!!

  • Popular Post
2 hours ago, Gandtee said:

I am not a fan of Starmer. Quite the opposite. But in this instance, I agree with him. The debacle in Iraq and Afghanistan has left a nasty taste. Wars cooked up on false information to divert attention at home have left the Middle East in turmoil. Do you think this one will end any better?

And when will we see some progress with releasing all the epstein files?

  • Popular Post
3 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Crikey, you have a lot of questions.

Yep, and mostly because some folks post things which have no immediate logic.

  • Popular Post
2 minutes ago, scorecard said:

And when will we see some progress with releasing all the epstein files?

Never if Trump gets his way!

21 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

Then I suggest that you stop making pointless/needless posts that need answers so that the needless/pointless post(s) can be understood and put into the context of the discussion!!

Typical antagonizing member, has a warrior keyboard to attack but too lazy to google

Remember.. Google is your friend

  • Popular Post
1 minute ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Typical antagonizing member, has a warrior keyboard to attack but too lazy to google

A typical antagonizing keyboard warrior who does not appreciate that posts should not need to be clarified by the unnecessary use of google.

Google should NOT be needed for clarification on a forum but clarity of posting by a member is!

  • Popular Post
50 minutes ago, wombat said:

Starmer can get away with that woke nonsense left wing gobbledygook rubbish in his own country but in the light of day when reality sets in and the real world raises it's ugly head he really is a pathetic person who, like Australia's Anthony Albanese a.k.a. AnAl,, uses the Fabian Society playbook as his go to for decision-making

You'd rather have Angus Taylor, king of self-congratulation? Pauline Hanson, queen of the bigots?

On topic, Trump is just throwing his customary hissy fit, because not everyone is decanting rose petals on his path.

Starmer was smitten by the leftist Epstein scandal . His labor party recently lost bigtime in elections. Its time to face facts Leftism appeasing state sponsored terror weather it be in Iran or through progressive programs to let in thousands of foreign nationals in ones country has reached the high water mark of rejection.

google ai overview:

"As of February 2026, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's center-left government is facing significant turmoil and calls for his resignation following the release of new documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

The crisis stems from Starmer's 2024 appointment of Peter Mandelson, a veteran Labour figure, as the UK ambassador to the United States, despite known, historical ties between Mandelson and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein".

Yahoo News
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Starmer vows to take fight to rivals after 'seismic' UK L...

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed on Friday to fight "the extremes in politics" after left-wing and hard-right parties both beat his ruling Labour in a crunch vote in a traditional stronghold.
  • Popular Post
2 hours ago, JBChiangRai said:

Trump is very easy to manipulate, you do it with flattery.

And shiny gold bling, the tackier the better.

  • Popular Post
7 hours ago, ASEAN NOW News said:

“This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with,”

We all know how ignorant and uneducated Trump is, but in this connection it's worth pointing out that the UK's GOAT himself preferred ''jaw-jaw to war-war.''

Multiple bickering posts removed.

Plus

@SAFETY FIRST your post was removed for breaking forum rules, stop discussing it and moderation in your comments.

Rule 13. You will not publicly comment on moderation in an open forum. You will not comment on actions taken by individual moderators or on specific or general policies and issues. You will not post a negative emoticon in response to a public notice made by a moderator. You may send a private message to a moderator to discuss individual actions or you can email support (at) aseannow.com to discuss moderation policy and account suspensions.You will not block communication from moderators or Admin.

Aggression, personal attacks, derogatiry comments or any form of abuse toward moderators, Admin, or this forum in general will not be tolerated and will result in strict consequences.

7 hours ago, JBChiangRai said:

Curiosity is a sign of intelligence.

Incidentally, what is wrong with woke? I like to think I am woke, I am also right of center.

Here's a thought:

If it walks like a troll, talks like a troll, quacks like a troll . . .

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