US President Donald Trump posted on social media that there was no need for the UK to deploy an aircraft carrier to the Middle East amid the ongoing war with Iran.
Saturday’s post on Truth Social followed a statement from Britain’s Ministry of Defense that HMS Prince of Wales, one of the two flagship aircraft carriers, was placed on “high readiness.”
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“The United Kingdom, once our great ally, perhaps our greatest ally, is finally seriously considering sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East,” Trump wrote.
“It’s okay, Prime Minister Starmer. We don’t need them anymore. But we will remember: we don’t need anyone going to war after we’ve already won!”
The post, which refers to the UK as a ‘once great ally’, suggests a growing rift between the two countries since Trump took office last year.
The gap appears to have deepened last week as the United States and Israel continued to attack Iran as part of a war that began on February 28.
The conflict has raised fears across the Middle East as Tehran’s retaliatory attacks target U.S. allies across the region.
About 1,332 people have already died in Iran, and the United States confirmed that six of its soldiers were killed. More deaths have been reported in countries such as Lebanon, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Iraq.
The British government has increased its involvement in the war with Iran, which is widely considered illegal under international law.
For example, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said Saturday that Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government has allowed the United States to use military bases for “limited defensive purposes.”
Bases include RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and the Diego Garcia site on the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean. There were initially reports that Starmer had blocked US use of the base.
Immediately after the initial US-Israeli strike, Starmer appeared to blush at the prospect of going to war.
He and the leaders of France and Germany issued a joint statement emphasizing that any action they might take would be defensive in nature.
“We will take steps to protect our interests and that of our regional allies by enabling necessary and proportional defensive measures to potentially destroy Iran’s missile and drone launch capabilities,” the joint statement said.
“We agreed to work with the United States and our allies in the region on this issue.”
But Starmer has had to push back on domestic criticism for and against entering the war.
“We will not take part in the aggression of the United States and Israel,” he told the British Parliament on Monday, citing “British national interests” and the need to protect “British lives.”
The Iran war remains deeply unpopular in Britain. A poll of 1,045 British adults last week by opinion polling company Survation found that 43% of respondents said the war was not justified.
When asked whether they supported Starmer’s initial decision not to allow the US to use UK bases, 56% of respondents did so. Only 27% responded that it was the wrong choice.
Thousands of protesters gathered outside the U.S. embassy in London on Saturday to demand an end to the growing conflict.
Meanwhile, the US president stepped up his criticism of Starmer last week, further worsening relations with the British government.
For example, President Trump met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in his office on March 3 and repeatedly said, “I am not satisfied with the UK.”
“We’re not dealing with Winston Churchill,” Trump said of Starmer.
Trump has long admired Churchill and installed a bust of Churchill in the Oval Office last year, as well as during his first term.
Trump, by contrast, has unleashed a barrage of criticism, particularly over Starmer’s decision to transfer control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in 2024.
The transfer took place after the International Court of Justice ruled that Britain had acted unlawfully in 1965 when it separated the island from Mauritius and created a separate colony.
The agreement with Mauritius allows the United States and Britain to maintain a military base on Diego Garcia, part of the archipelago.
However, President Trump has repeatedly criticized the transfer on social media, saying, “It is a very foolish action to give such important land.”
Tensions between the United States and Britain have heightened since Trump told Fox News in January that NATO allies had been “a little out of line” during America’s war in Afghanistan.
Starmer responded that Trump’s comments were “insulting and frankly appalling.”
The Trump administration has signaled a move away from traditional European allies in favor of more politically aligned countries.
At a summit with Latin American right-wing leaders last Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised attendees while also shadowing other allies.
“When we realize that sometimes our allies may not be there when we need them, these countries have been there for us,” Rubio said at the summit.
