Trump warns UK-US “special relationship” in peril amid major rift over Iran

In an unprecedented critique of the United Kingdom, US President Donald Trump has warned that the once “most solid” Special Relationship between Washington and London is under severe strain.

Speaking to The Sun, Trump expressed dismay at the current state of UK-US ties, saying, “Stop people from coming in from foreign lands who hate you,” and lamenting that Britain is “not such a recognisable country” anymore.

The warning comes amid a major transatlantic fallout over the UK’s refusal to fully support US military operations against Iran, including access to UK bases for potential strikes. Trump singled out Prime Minister Keir Starmer, accusing him of pandering to Muslim voters and stating, “He has not been helpful. I never thought I’d see that from the UK.”

Highlighting the shift in alliances, Trump praised France and Germany, saying that the US now maintains “very strong relationships with other countries in Europe.” He also blamed the UK government’s decision to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, dubbing the territory “the woke island,” as a central point of tension.

Trump concluded, “It’s a different world… a much different kind of relationship that we’ve had with your country before,” signalling the deepest rupture in UK-US relations in decades.