US President Donald Trump on Saturday intensified his criticism of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the ongoing US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, saying London was giving “serious thought” to deploying two aircraft carriers to the Middle East, but bitterly added that American forces do not need them to win the ongoing war.
Trump has repeatedly criticised the British leader, suggesting this week that the latter helped “ruin” the historically close relationship between the two military allies, after London blocked the US’s initial use of British bases to attack Iran.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he “will remember” the lack of British support during the conflict with Iran.
“The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, maybe the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East,” Trump said.
“That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer — But we will remember.” He added, “We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!”
The social media post came after the British Defence Ministry on Saturday said it was preparing the Prince of Wales aircraft carrier for possible deployment.
However, no final decision has been reached about whether to deploy the aircraft carrier to the Middle East, a British official said, per Reuters.
Starmer has defended his stance on not allowing US forces to use British bases to support initial strikes on Iran, saying he needed to be satisfied that any military action was legal and well planned.
He later allowed American forces to use British bases for what he described as defensive strikes on Iranian missiles in storage depots or launchers.
In a personal attack against him earlier this week, Trump had said, “This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with,”. He made the remarks during a meeting in the Oval Office with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Earlier this year, Starmer criticised Trump’s desire to acquire Greenland and said his comments that European troops avoided frontline combat in the war in Afghanistan were “frankly appalling.”
(With inputs from Reuters)
