Relations between the United States and United Kingdom have become strained as President Donald Trump publicly criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the UK's limited participation in ongoing strikes against Iran.

Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that "this is not Winston Churchill that we're dealing with," expressing displeasure with Britain's reluctance to allow full use of its military bases for the operations. In an interview with The Sun newspaper, Trump said the UK "has been much different from others" compared to European allies like France.

Starmer initially blocked American planes from using British bases for attacks on Iran that began Saturday. He later permitted limited use of bases in England and Diego Garcia for strikes on Iranian ballistic missiles and storage sites, but not for broader offensive operations. Even after the British base at Akrotiri in Cyprus was struck by an Iranian drone over the weekend, Starmer maintained that the UK "will not join offensive action."

The British Prime Minister defended his position Monday in the House of Commons, stating that UK actions "must always have a lawful basis and a viable, thought-through plan." Starmer said he was acting in Britain's national interest and expressed concern about "regime change from the skies." He announced the deployment of Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon and Wildcat helicopters to the region for defensive operations.

The dispute has created divisions among European leaders regarding the Iran conflict. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte endorsed Trump's actions, while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the strikes as "unjustifiable." The UK, France, and Germany issued a joint statement saying they were not involved in the strikes but were prepared to support "necessary and proportionate defensive action."

The friction extends beyond Iran policy, with previous disagreements over Trump's threats regarding Greenland and Britain's agreement to transfer the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty insisted Tuesday that the US-UK relationship "is strong" and "will endure into the future," despite the current tensions.