President Donald Trump launched a harsh rebuke of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, saying, “this is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with” as tensions between Washington and London hit a new low amid the Iran crisis.
Speaking from the Oval Office on March 3, Trump offered a scathing appraisal of the UK leader while seated next to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and in front of a bust of Winston Churchill. He stepped up his criticism over Britain’s initial refusal to allow American forces to use British military bases for strikes against Iran.
Trump voiced frustration at the delays created by the UK’s decision, saying it took several days to arrange alternative options for U.S. military actions. He referenced the Chagos Islands, calling the UK “very, very uncooperative with that stupid island” and labeling the situation “a shame.”
The dispute began after the UK initially blocked the United States from using British bases, including Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands, to launch strikes on Iran over the weekend. The Prime Minister only changed course after Iran struck back across the Middle East, including a drone attack on RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus that damaged a runway early on March 2.
Trump broadened his critique to include Starmer’s contentious agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius under a 99-year lease. The deal, signed in May 2025, permits the UK and US to keep operating the Diego Garcia base while Mauritius assumes sovereignty of the islands.
The president’s remarks signal an unprecedented public rupture in the so-called “special relationship” between the two countries. Trump suggested that other European partners had been far more cooperative than Britain during the Iran operations.
Merz was seated beside Trump during the Oval Office comments and later told reporters he had “addressed both issues very clearly in a personal conversation,” preferring not to make disputes public. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte received praise from Trump for his backing. The president also said he was cutting off all trade with Spain after Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez denied the U.S. permission to use jointly run bases for Iran operations.
The diplomatic fallout has forced Downing Street into damage-control. Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Darren Jones defended the government’s stance, saying the initial U.S. and Israeli strikes did not meet the Prime Minister’s threshold for British involvement.
Starmer pushed back during parliamentary sessions, insisting his actions served Britain’s national interest. The Prime Minister reiterated his government’s principled opposition to certain military campaigns, saying his administration “does not believe in regime change from the skies.”
The UK later deployed the air-defence destroyer HMS Dragon and two Wildcat helicopters with counter-drone systems to the Cyprus area to help safeguard RAF Akrotiri after the Iranian drone strike. Britain also allowed its bases to be used for defensive strikes following Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone launches across the region.
The White House has been particularly worried about losing access to Diego Garcia, a key Indian Ocean airbase that could have refueled B2 bombers during operations against Iran. Although Trump initially approved the UK-Mauritius deal, he has since denounced it as an “act of great stupidity.”
Despite the confrontation, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman sought to minimize the rift, stressing long-standing cooperation. When asked to define the special relationship, the spokesman insisted Britain and America remain staunch allies.
Trump had told The Sun that the special relationship was “not what it used to be” and called Starmer “not been helpful.” The president, whose mother Mary Anne MacLeod was Scottish-born, also criticized the UK’s energy and immigration policies during his remarks.
The public dispute is one of the most serious diplomatic splits between Washington and London in recent times, with both leaders showing little inclination to back down. The crisis has also prompted criticism from Britain’s Middle Eastern partners, including Cyprus and Gulf states, accusing London of not sufficiently protecting the region from Iranian strikes.
With Iran continuing attacks region-wide and the U.S. exploring other bases for operations, such as RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, the standoff between Trump and Starmer shows no immediate sign of easing. Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan have commented on the worsening security climate, increasing pressure on the British government to clarify its position.
