'Pandering to Muslim voters': Donald Trump criticises Keir Starmer over Iran strikes

Trump–Starmer rift over Iran strikes deepens

US President Donald Trump has criticised the United Kingdom’s decision not to join American strikes on Iran, suggesting Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was influenced by domestic political considerations.

In a telephone interview with the British newspaper The Sun on Monday, Donald Trump expressed disappointment over London’s refusal to participate in the military action. He suggested that Sir Keir Starmer was seeking to appeal to Muslim voters by withholding support for Washington’s offensive, adding that Britain is “not such a recognisable country” anymore.

Referring to the Prime Minister, Trump was quoted as saying, “He has not been helpful. I never thought I'd see that. I never thought I'd see that from the UK. We love the UK”.

According to The Sun, when asked whether Starmer was pandering to Muslim voters for political reasons, the US President replied, “it could be”.

Trump also took aim at London’s leadership, saying, “London is a very different place, with a terrible Mayor. You have a terrible Mayor there, some terrible people. But it's a very different place.”

The remarks mark a sharp downturn in transatlantic relations, following Sir Keir Starmer’s statement to the House of Commons on Monday clarifying Britain’s position on the conflict.

“The United Kingdom was not involved in the initial US and Israeli strikes on Iran. That decision was deliberate. We believe that the best path for the region is through a negotiated settlement, one in which Iran agrees to abandon its aspiration to develop a nuclear weapon and ceases its destabilising activities across the Middle East. That has been the longstanding position of successive British governments,” Starmer told MPs.

He acknowledged that President Trump disagreed with the decision, but defended it as being in Britain’s national interest. “President Trump has expressed his disagreement with our decision not to join the initial strikes. But it is my duty to judge what is in Britain's national interest, and that is the judgement I made. I stand by it.”

While criticising Iran as a threat to Britain’s partners and interests, Starmer stressed that the UK’s role had been strictly defensive. He confirmed that Washington had requested permission to use British bases for limited purposes.

“The United States requested permission to use British bases for that specific, limited defensive purpose. They have the capabilities required to prevent Iranian missiles from killing civilians, British nationals, or our allies in countries that played no part in the initial strike. To be clear: the use of British bases is strictly limited to agreed defensive purposes. The UK has not joined US offensive operations. Our action is rooted in the principle of collective self-defence of longstanding friends and in the protection of British lives. We have published a summary of our legal position, which sets this out clearly. We will keep this decision under review.”

The diplomatic strain comes amid an escalating conflict in West Asia, triggered by a major US–Israeli offensive on 28 February that targeted Iranian military sites, nuclear-linked facilities and leadership compounds. Tehran has since responded with missile and drone attacks against US assets and regional allies, widening the confrontation and prompting international calls for restraint as fighting continues.