Trump says Starmer is 'no Winston Churchill' over Iran strikes

President Donald Trump has told reporters Sir Keir Starmer is "no Winston Churchill" in the latest spat over the UK's refusal to get involved in initial US-Israel strikes on Iran.

The row centers on the use of the military base in Diego Garcia on the Chagos Islands, after the UK agreed to a US request to use British military bases only for "defensive" strikes on Iranian missile sites.

Speaking to journalists in the Oval Office, Trump said he was "not happy with the UK" over the decision, which led to US planes "flying many extra hours".

Royal Navy warship HMS Dragon has been sent to the Mediterranean to defend a British air base in Cyprus, a day after the runway was hit by a drone.

On Sunday, the UK agreed to the US request to use British military bases - likely to be RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia - but following that decision, the prime minister told MPs the UK government "does not believe in regime change from the skies".

He said: "The lessons of history have taught us that it is important when we make decisions like this, that we establish there is a lawful basis for what the United Kingdom is doing.

"That is one of the lessons from Iraq, and that there's a viable thought-through plan with an objective that can be achieved or has a viable prospect of being achieved."

Calling Sir Keir's decision on the bases "shocking", Trump said: "That island that you write about, the lease.... For whatever reason, he made a lease of the island. Somebody came and took it away from him and it's taken three or four days for us to work out where we can land.

"It would have been much more convenient landing there as opposed to flying many extra hours. So we are very surprised.

"This is not Winston Churchill that we're dealing with."

Trump went on to criticise UK government policy on energy and immigration, before adding "this is not the age of Churchill".

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