Donald Trump has claimed that King Charles agrees with him that Iran should never be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. The US president made the remarks during a state dinner at the White House on Tuesday, following bilateral talks with the monarch earlier that day.
The king, as head of state, is expected to remain politically neutral, and Trump's comments are likely to cause embarrassment for royal aides. In his speech, Trump said: 'We’re never going to let that opponent have a nuclear weapon. Charles agrees with me even more than I do.'
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.' The comments come amid tensions between Trump and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer over the Iran conflict.
During his state visit, King Charles addressed Congress and made no direct mention of Iran, but stressed the importance of Nato and continued support for Ukraine. The visit is seen as an effort to strengthen the 'special relationship' between the UK and US, echoing Queen Elizabeth II's post-Suez crisis tour in 1957.
