Falklands veteran Simon Weston has condemned reports that the United States may reconsider its position on the South Atlantic territory in retaliation for Sir Keir Starmer's refusal to support the war in Iran, branding the move a "cruel joke."
Pentagon memo sparks concern
An internal Pentagon email, first reported by Reuters, outlined options for the Trump administration to penalise NATO allies that declined to join US-Israeli strikes against Iran. Among the suggestions was a reassessment of US diplomatic support for "imperial possessions" such as the Falkland Islands.
Argentina has long claimed sovereignty over the Falklands and invaded the islands in 1982, leading to a brief but bloody conflict in which Britain emerged victorious. Writing for The Independent, Mr Weston—who was severely injured during the bombing of the British ship Sir Galahad—described the potential shift in US policy as "unnecessary" and "unfair," warning that Mr Trump's words could "spark his friends in Argentina" into reigniting hostilities.
Weston: 'A cruel joke'
Mr Weston wrote: "To have the legacy that the islanders have created, the peace, tranquillity, the success financially and economically, and everything else that goes with it, thrown into turmoil and uncertainty by the words of a man who is the self-proclaimed leader of the free world, it beggars belief. It's so unnecessary. It's so unfair."
He added: "It's got to be classed as a cruel joke. The Falkland islanders are innocent pawns in a political game. Everyone can see that the islands have nothing to do with Mr Trump, and he cannot play the role of schoolyard bully forever."
Reflecting on the human cost of the conflict, he said: "We lost 48 men aboard the Sir Galahad. Most of them I knew. They were my good friends. The attack killed another 10 or so outside of the ship, so over 60 men died that day... What was it all for if somebody 44 years later can bring all that back? Everything that, and all my injured colleagues, and all the friends and families of the dead soldiers and airmen, all the Argentinians who needlessly died, the three civilians who died. What was that for?"
He concluded: "Unfortunately, by Mr Trump's words could spark his friends in Argentina into starting something like that again. I despair."
Hope for royal intervention
Speaking to BBC Newsnight, Mr Weston expressed hope that King Charles could persuade Mr Trump to "back down" over the Falklands during his upcoming state visit. "I would hope that he [the King] would just kind of get him [Mr Trump] to back down and calm down over the Falklands," he said.
"What we don't need is [Argentine president Javier Milei] Mr Milei to raise his sleeves and believe that aggression may work because that would just cost more lives."
The veteran added: "The King is an incredible statesman, he's a great ambassador for this country, he's somebody that's world respected and I think he can hopefully smooth some of this over so that we won't end up in a situation that we find ourselves where, we are allies, allegedly, but this is bringing it to a different point in the relationship."
Political reactions
Mr Weston's remarks follow those of Admiral Lord West of Spithead, who commanded HMS Ardent during the Falklands conflict. He told The Independent that the reported US shift was an "insult to the autonomous, self-reliant and free people of the Falkland Islands."
The controversy is the latest sign of strain in US-UK relations following the Iran war. However, this week President Trump suggested that the state visit by King Charles and Queen Camilla could "absolutely" help repair ties with the UK.
On Friday, the Prime Minister's official spokesperson reiterated Britain's position: "The Falkland Islands have overwhelmingly voted in favour of remaining a UK overseas territory, and we've always stood behind the islanders' right to self-determination and the fact that sovereignty rests with the UK."
When asked if Britain was prepared to defend the islands, the spokesperson described the question as "hypothetical," adding: "That is not the situation we are in."
The Falkland Islands government expressed "complete confidence in the commitment made by the UK government to uphold and defend our right of self-determination."
