Trump says Starmer is “not Churchill” over UK stance on Iran strikes
U.S. President Donald Trump has sharply criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, saying he is “not Winston Churchill” after the United Kingdom initially refused to allow American forces to use British military bases for strikes against Iran.
The comments have exposed one of the deepest tensions in recent years between Washington and London, although the British government later granted limited access to some facilities for defensive operations.
The dispute stems from the U.S. and Israeli military strikes launched against Iran on February 28, which targeted Iranian military infrastructure and resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Ahead of the operation, Washington had requested access to the U.S. military facility on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and the RAF Fairford base in Gloucestershire. Prime Minister Starmer initially rejected the request.
Speaking in the Oval Office on Tuesday alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump criticized the British position.
“That’s not Winston Churchill we’re dealing with,” Trump told reporters, adding that the United Kingdom had been “very, very uncooperative.”
In interviews with the Daily Telegraph and The Sun, Trump said the U.S.–U.K. relationship was “clearly not what it used to be” and expressed disappointment at how long it took for London to reconsider its stance.
On Sunday evening, Starmer announced that the United Kingdom would allow limited U.S. use of British bases for what he described as “specific and limited defensive purposes.” The decision came after Iranian missile and drone strikes across the Gulf raised concerns for approximately 200,000 British citizens living in the region.
A drone attack also struck RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, causing minor damage to the base.
In a statement to Parliament on Monday, Starmer defended his government’s cautious position, saying the United Kingdom does not support “regime change that falls from the sky.” He also referred to the legacy of the Iraq war.
“We all remember the mistakes made in Iraq, and we have learned from that experience,” Starmer said. “Any action undertaken by the United Kingdom must always be grounded in legality and supported by a carefully considered plan.”
Starmer also acknowledged Trump’s criticism directly.
“President Trump has expressed his disagreement with our decision not to participate in the initial strikes,” he said. “But it is my duty to judge what is in the national interest of the United Kingdom. That is what I have done, and I stand by it.”
Trump contrasted Britain’s position with Germany’s, praising Chancellor Merz for allowing U.S. forces to operate from German bases.
“They allow us to land in certain areas, and we appreciate that,” Trump said, while criticizing both the United Kingdom and Spain.
Merz said Germany and the United States were aligned in their objective of confronting the Iranian leadership, though he warned that the military operation carried significant risks.
The comparison with Churchill also sparked criticism in London. Emily Thornberry, chair of the U.K. Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, responded by questioning how the wartime British leader might have viewed Trump.
“I cannot help wondering what Churchill would have thought of Trump,” she said. “He certainly is not a Franklin D. Roosevelt.”
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