"I never thought I would see this from the United Kingdom," Trump said.
US President Donald Trump criticized UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in an interview with the British tabloid The Sun for not providing assistance in the US-Israeli strikes against Iran, as reported by Meduza.
"He (Starmer) didn’t help at all. I never thought I would see this. I never thought I would see this from the United Kingdom," Trump said.
Trump expressed regret that the relationship between the US and the UK is now "not what it used to be."
On Monday, March 2, Starmer stated in Parliament that the British government "does not believe that the regime can be changed through airstrikes." He also said that the UK would not join the US and Israel in striking Iran but would focus on defensive assistance for its allies in the region.
In mid-February, The Times reported that the UK authorities did not allow the US to use Royal Air Force bases for strikes against Iran. This refers to British air bases in Fairford, Gloucestershire in England, and on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. According to the publication, the White House was developing a plan for a strike against Iran that involved the use of these bases.
In a statement on the evening of March 1, Starmer said that the decision not to participate in strikes against Iran was a considered one, as London believes it is right to resolve the situation through negotiations. He emphasized that Iran's strikes pose a danger to British citizens in the Middle East, as well as to London's allies in the region. In his opinion, the only way to stop the threat now is to destroy Iranian missiles and launchers.
"The US requested permission to use British bases for this specific and limited defensive purpose. We made the decision to grant this request to prevent Iran from launching missiles across the region, killing innocent civilians," Starmer stated.
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