'Too late': Trump reportedly mocks UK for offering help during Iran War, says 'should have proposed earlier'

Donald Trump

• Trump told Starmer UK military help was no longer needed
• US granted a one-month waiver on Russian oil sanctions
• G7 leaders warned against Russia gaining from Iran conflict

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US President Donald Trump told British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that British military assistance was no longer required during a virtual meeting of the Group of Seven leaders on Wednesday, according to officials familiar with the discussion, news reports said.

During the call, Trump criticised Starmer for initially declining to allow the United States to use British bases for strikes on Iran. The British government later changed its stance and offered the bases for what it described as defensive operations targeting Iranian missile sites after Iran began launching attacks against Gulf states.

However, Trump told the British leader the offer had come too late. “You should have proposed it before the war — now it is too late," Trump said, according to officials who were briefed on the exchange.

The comment came during a tense conversation among G7 leaders about the ongoing conflict with Iran and its wider global implications. Friedrich Merz and Emmanuel Macron joined Starmer in warning that Russia should not gain advantages from the situation or receive sanctions relief.

Despite those concerns, the US Department of the Treasury later announced a one month waiver on sanctions covering Russian oil shipments that were already in transit. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the measure was intended to stabilise global energy markets as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz pushed oil prices above 100 dollars a barrel.

Officials said the waiver would apply only to shipments with no links to Iran and would not provide significant financial gains to the Russian government.

Meanwhile, hours before the G7 meeting, Kirill Dmitriev, an envoy of Vladimir Putin, met with Trump advisers Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Florida to discuss the global energy situation.

Trump had earlier dismissed Britain’s proposal to deploy aircraft carriers to the region. Following a phone conversation with Starmer on March 8, the US president rejected the offer to send carriers to join wars “already won."

In a post on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote, “The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, maybe 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. We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!," he added.