U.S. President Donald Trump has criticized the United Kingdom for what he characterized as a delayed offer of military aid in the current conflict with Iran, asserting that Washington has already secured a dominant position and no longer needs the assistance.
Trump shared these thoughts on Saturday through a post on his Truth Social platform, responding to news that Britain might be preparing to send two aircraft carriers to the Middle East.
In his message to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the U.S. President implied that the window for meaningful support had already passed.
“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,” Trump wrote.
“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.”
His comments came after the British Ministry of Defence confirmed that the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales had been put on a higher state of operational readiness to shorten its deployment time if needed.
Nevertheless, British officials pointed out that this step does not guarantee the ship will be sent to the Middle East, as it remains available for other duties, such as NATO exercises.
Trump later doubled down on his stance while talking to the press on Air Force One, maintaining that British involvement would have been far more valuable earlier in the hostilities.
“We don’t need them. It’s not the right time. It would have been nice to have had them two weeks ago,” he said.
In the meantime, the U.S. President visited Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to participate in a dignified transfer ceremony for six American service members who lost their lives during the conflict in Kuwait.
During the somber proceedings, Trump stood in front of the flag-draped coffins and offered a salute as military teams moved the remains from the plane.
While he acknowledged the occasion as “a very sad day,” the President stood by the military operations against Iran, claiming that the United States is clearly winning the conflict.
Trump also drew attention with his remarks regarding the political future of Iran, proposing that Washington should have a say in choosing the nation’s next leaders to avoid future clashes.
“We don’t want to come back every five or ten years and do this again. We want to pick a president that’s not going to lead the country into war,” he said.
He further noted that the United States does not intend to bring Kurdish armed groups into the fight, stating that the administration is looking to keep the conflict from becoming more complex.
