'He's no Winston Churchill': Trump blasts Starmer over Iran strikes
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump has slammed United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer for his lack of support for US airstrikes on Iran. "This is not Winston Churchill that we're dealing with," Trump said during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The remarks were Trump's third volley against Starmer this week, as Washington's campaign of air strikes against Iran has raised concerns among some US allies who saw the conflict as reckless and a violation of international law.
Defense rationale
Starmer defends decision not to support initial airstrikes
Starmer has defended his decision not to support the initial airstrikes, citing lessons learned from Britain's involvement in the 2003 Iraq war. He emphasized that any military action must have a "viable, thought-through plan," and he does not believe in "regime change from the skies." But Britain later allowed US forces to use certain UK facilities for limited and defensive operations after Iran attacked US allies with drones and missiles.
Military response
UK to send advanced warship to eastern Mediterranean
The UK has also decided to send HMS Dragon, a Type 45 destroyer, to the eastern Mediterranean to bolster security around RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. The ship is described as one of the most advanced air defense warships globally and can fire eight missiles in under 10 seconds. Along with this, two Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters armed with Martlet missiles will also be deployed.
UK
UK military shot down drones in Iraq, Jordan, and Qatar
The deployment was made a day after the runway of the British air base in Cyprus, RAF Akrotiri, was hit by a drone, causing what the Ministry of Defence (MoD) described as "minimal damage." The Ministry of Defence also stated that UK military forces had shot down drones in Iraq, Jordan, and Qatar during the last 24 hours. The Royal Navy currently has no major warships in the Mediterranean region.
Public sentiment
Polling data shows majority of Britons oppose US strikes
Polling data from YouGov shows that a majority of Britons oppose the US strikes on Iran, with 49% against and 28% in favor. Senior minister Darren Jones said Britain had learned lessons from its involvement in the 2003 Iraq war, when it joined the United States' operation to oust Saddam Hussein, which was justified by bogus claims that the country possessed weapons of mass destruction.