Donald Trump has claimed that King Charles III “would have probably helped” the United States in its military offensive against Iran, as the US president continues to criticise the UK’s refusal to join strikes on Tehran.
Trump’s Oval Office Remarks
Speaking in the Oval Office following the King’s address to Congress, Mr Trump praised the monarch while lambasting Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer as “weak and indecisive” for not committing British forces to the campaign. “The King is fantastic. We spent a lot of time together. We had a lot of talk. We talked about this also, and he loves his country, and he’s a great king, and he’s a great friend of mine,” Mr Trump said. “And I think if he were doing that, if that were up to him, he would have probably helped us with Iran.”
The president added: “I think he’s a phenomenal representative for his country. I think the people in the United Kingdom should be proud.”
State Banquet Comments
During the King’s state visit, Mr Trump used a white-tie banquet to claim that Charles agreed with him on preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. “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,” the president told guests.
In response, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “The King is naturally mindful of his Government’s long-standing and well-known position on the prevention of nuclear proliferation.”
Strait of Hormuz Talks
As part of the state visit, UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington to discuss restoring free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. The Iran conflict and a fragile truce have effectively closed the vital oil and gas shipping lane, driving up energy prices and damaging the global economy.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said: “The secretary and Foreign Secretary discussed the urgent need to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.” Ms Cooper later tweeted that they had “discussed our shared focus on getting the Strait of Hormuz re-opened without Iranian tolls or restrictions.”
Military Perspectives
First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins commented that the closure of the maritime route and its international shock showed that “sea power is vital.” The strait, open before US and Israeli strikes on Iran, has become a focus of transatlantic tensions. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed UK and French efforts to secure the waterway as “silly,” saying Europe needed it “much more than we do” and that it was “much more their fight than ours.”
Giving evidence to Congress, Mr Hegseth said the Pentagon had “looked at all aspects” of the risk of an Iranian blockade. US military chief General Dan Caine added: “We always offer a full range of military options that are carefully considered with the associated risks.”
Trump’s Warnings to Iran
Earlier, Mr Trump warned Iran to “get smart” about a nuclear deal, posting an image of himself with an assault rifle and the caption “no more Mr Nice Guy” on Truth Social. He wrote: “Iran can’t get their act together. They don’t know how to sign a nonnuclear deal. They better get smart soon!” The president has justified the US-Israeli offensive as aimed at halting Iran’s nuclear weapons programme.
Potential Troop Reduction in Germany
Mr Trump also announced he is considering cutting US troop numbers in Germany after Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticised America over the Iran war, claiming the US had been “humiliated” by Tehran. In a Truth Social post, the president stated: “The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP”
