Trump blasts Starmer after Iran U-turn as U.Ok. chief navigates home strain from Muslim voters

President Trump took aim at British Prime Minister Keir Starmer again over the weekend, even as the U.K. backpedaled from earlier efforts to distance itself from the ongoing war in the Middle East.

American warplanes began arriving in the United Kingdom over the weekend, visible evidence of London’s shift to a more Trump-friendly stance on a conflict the U.S. and Israel appear to be winning handily.

“The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, may be the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East. That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer — But we will remember,” Mr. Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social, “We don’t need people who join Wars after we’ve already won!“

Mr. Trump’s comments follow media reports that the British government is considering deploying HMS Prince of Wales, one of the U.K.’s two aircraft carriers, to the Eastern Mediterranean.

Mr. Starmer spoke to Mr. Trump about the growing discord between the two long-time allies on Sunday, according to a summary of the call released by the U.K. leader’s office.

“The leaders began by discussing the latest situation in the Middle East and the military cooperation between the UK and US through the use of RAF bases in support of the collective self-defense of partners in the region,” according to the statement. “The Prime Minister also shared his heartfelt condolences with President Trump and the American people following the deaths of six U.S. soldiers. 

The U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran does not have the support of the British public, according to opinion polls. 

However, the leaders of the two largest right-wing opposition parties, Reform’s Nigel Farage and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, have both condemned Mr. Starmer and the ruling center-left Labour Party for acting indecisively. Critics have also noted the failure of the U.K. to defend allied Gulf states and Cyprus from attacks. At least one Iranian missile struck a British base in Cyprus since the conflict began.

“David Lammy has just U-turned and changed the government’s position on striking Iran’s ability to attack our bases and our allies. Good,” Mr. Badonach said after the deputy prime minister told the BBC that British jets would consider striking Iranian missile sites if Iran’s missile attacks pose a threat to British nationals.

In an interview published by the conservative newspaper The Sun on Tuesday, Mr. Trump was asked whether Mr. Starmer was “pandering” to Muslim voters. The American president replied that “it could be” the case.

“The U.K. was not involved in the offensive strikes of the U.S. and Israel, and that remains the case,” Mr. Starmer said Tuesday, four days after joint American-Israeli airstrikes on Iran began.

Mr. Starmer’s disavowal of the U.S.-led war came, notably, at a Tuesday event at the Palace of Westminster hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims. Roughly 4.5 million Muslims live in the U.K., and the current Labour government includes Muslims in cabinet and other senior positions — as did the previous Conservative government.

In the build-up to the strikes on Iran, Mr. Starmer denied the U.S. access to the joint U.S.-U.K. Diego Garcia base in the Chagos Islands and to bases in the U.K. itself before Mr. Starmer’s change of heart.

“I never supported the Iraq war back in 2003,” he said at the same British Muslim event organized during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. “And I’m determined we learn and follow the lessons today.”

During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the U.S. and Britain fought together to bring down Saddam Hussein. The two countries also fought together in recent conflicts in Libya and Afghanistan.

But the recent success of the Green Party in winning Muslim votes in the Manchester suburbs of Gorton and Denton represents a potential realignment in British politics. 

The Green Party’s decisive victory in the district was spurred by Muslim voters, who make up 30% of the jurisdiction’s constituents. The district had voted Labour in every election since the Labour Party’s founding in 1906.

“Starmer’s attempt to play both sides has failed,” said Zack Polankski, the leader of the Green Party. “He tried to look tough on Trump, but failed to condemn the illegal attack. Then he let U.S. bombers pit stop here. He’s dragged us into the war, and still managed to damage our reputation with the USA in the process.”

Mr. Polanski has referred to the U.S. and Israel as “rogue states” in comments posted to social media.

The Green Party’s deputy leader, Mothin Ali, attended an anti-war rally where protesters displayed the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Mr. Polanski has shared similar content on his X account.

According to a poll released last week by the polling firm YouGov, the Green Party is currently polling second in the U.K., just behind the Reform Party. 

Polling figures have also shown that Mr. Trump remains deeply unpopular with the British public.

An American B-1 bomber arrived at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on Friday evening, followed by three more on Saturday as well as a C-5 airlifter transport plane. 

On Tuesday, the United Kingdom announced it would deploy the HMS Dragon to the eastern Mediterranean to protect Cyprus. 

Four Typhoon fighter jets will also be deployed to Qatar to help defend that long-time British ally.

Some British forces have already engaged in limited combat operations in the ongoing conflict.

“A British counter-drone unit neutralised drones in Iraqi airspace heading towards Coalition forces, whilst an RAF Typhoon operating with the joint UK-Qatar 12 Squadron shot down an Iranian one-way attack drone directed at Qatar using an air-to-air missile on [March 2],” the Ministry of Defence said Tuesday.

In the same statement, the ministry reported that Royal Air Force F-35B jets shot down Iranian drones over Jordan. The incident marked the first time a British F-35 destroyed any target in a combat operation.