US President Donald Trump has asserted that King Charles agrees with him that Iran must never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. The claim was made during a White House state dinner on Tuesday, following bilateral talks between the two leaders earlier that day.
The King, as head of state, is expected to remain politically neutral, and Trump's remarks may embarrass royal aides by appearing to reveal the monarch's private views. In his dinner speech, Trump stated: 'We're doing a little Middle East work right now ... and we're doing very well. We have militarily defeated that particular opponent, and we're never going to let that opponent ever, Charles agrees with me even more than I do, we're never going to let that opponent have a nuclear weapon.'
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson responded: 'The king is naturally mindful of his government's longstanding and well-known position on the prevention of nuclear proliferation.' Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey had previously called for the state visit to be cancelled, warning Trump might embarrass the monarch.
During the state dinner, King Charles appeared to reference the 1956 Suez crisis, suggesting his visit aimed to 'put the special back into our relationship' with the US, much like Queen Elizabeth II did nearly 70 years ago. He also addressed Congress, highlighting NATO's role and the importance of supporting Ukraine against Russia, without directly mentioning the Iran war.
Trump has been critical of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's approach to Iran, describing it as 'terrible' and comparing Starmer unfavourably to Winston Churchill. Despite tensions, Trump praised the 'special relationship' during the visit, which included a ceremonial welcome and a historic address by the King to Congress.
