‘Not like they used to be’: Why US–UK special relationship is fraying over Iran strikes

US–UK rift deepens over Iran strikes

President Donald Trump has said ties between the United States and Britain are “not like they used to be”, amid a diplomatic dispute triggered by US–Israeli strikes on Iran.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced criticism from Trump after initially declining to take part in Washington’s military operations against Iran. In parliament on Monday, Starmer said his government “does not believe in regime change from the skies”, reinforcing his cautious approach.

He later approved a US request to use two British military bases for what was described as a “specific and limited defensive purpose”.

Trump expressed frustration over the stance in an interview with The Sun, saying the relationship between the two countries was once the strongest of all, adding that the US now has “very strong relationships with other countries in Europe”, particularly naming France and Germany.

Despite the friction, Starmer has previously built a positive rapport with Trump, who was granted an unprecedented second state visit to Britain last year.

The long-standing “special relationship” between the World War II allies is rooted in defence cooperation and intelligence collaboration. However, any British involvement in military action in the Middle East remains politically sensitive, especially after the fallout from the UK’s support for the US-led Iraq war in 2003 under former prime minister Tony Blair.

Trump's comments came as UK media reported that the government was considering sending a warship to the Middle East.

HMS Duncan could reportedly be the Type 45 destroyer sent to the region, having recently completed a training exercise on taking down drones.

Trump said Starmer had "not been helpful", adding: "I never thought I'd see that. I never thought I'd see that from the UK. We love the UK."

"It's just a much different kind of relationship... It's very sad to see that the relationship is obviously not what it was," he said in a telephone interview.

Government minister Darren Jones defended Starmer's decision to only get involved in military action where there was a "legal basis" and a "clear plan" that was in the UK's own national interest.

"That's why we were not involved in the initial strikes in Iran," he said.

He said two UK bases -- one in Gloucestershire in western England and the UK-US base on Diego Garcia island in the Indian Ocean -- had now been cleared for use by the Americans.

"We all remember the mistakes of Iraq, and we have learnt those lessons," Starmer said in parliament on Monday.

A British Royal Air Force (RAF) base in Cyprus was attacked early Monday by Iranian-made drones, one of which hit the runway, according to officials.

The base was "not being used by US bombers", Starmer said.

Asked about Trump's criticism, Starmer's spokesman said the UK and the US remained staunch allies".

"That is reflected in decades of that special relationship, whether it's on national security on trade, or beyond," the spokesman said.

British politicians have been haunted by the 2003 Iraq war, in which a reported 179 UK soldiers died.

An official UK inquiry into the conflict later found that Blair acted on flawed intelligence when deciding to join the war.

Evie Aspinall, director of the British Foreign Policy Group think tank, told AFP Starmer faced a "very tight diplomatic tightrope" with the US which "remains critical in the context of Ukraine and Greenland".

Richard Whitman, an expert on international relations at the University of Kent, added that Trump's remarks might herald a "new, not-so-special relationship".

The worry for London was any "spillover" on Ukraine and the possibility of Trump getting a "bee in his bonnet" about the UK.

"That would be clearly disastrous for the UK,” he said.

The situation might be salvaged with a "bold announcement on defence spending uplifts", said Sophia Gaston, a foreign policy research fellow at King's College London.