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Trump reiterates unhappiness with UK for lack of assistance in Iran war

16 March 2026 23:05 (UTC +04:00)

President Donald Trump said Monday he was “not happy” with his British counterpart Keir Starmer for initially declining to send military equipment to the Middle East when the US-Israeli war with Iran began, APA reports citing CNN.

“I was very surprised with the United Kingdom because the United Kingdom, two weeks ago, I said, ‘Why don’t you send some ships over?’ And he really didn’t want to do it,” Trump told reporters.

Calling the UK his country’s “oldest ally,” Trump said that the US has spent “a lot of money” on NATO and protecting Ukraine against Russia. “I think it’s terrible,” Trump said, going on to say he was “not happy with the UK.”

The president said that Starmer had told him yesterday he was meeting with his team to make a decision about joining an effort to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.

“I said, ‘You don’t need to meet up with the team. You’re the prime minister. You can make your own — why do you have to meet with your team to find out whether or not you’re going to send some minesweepers to us or to send some boats?’ I said, ‘You don’t have to meet with your team.’”