‘Stop hyperventilating about the special relationship – it’s just a disagreement’
Donald Trump is fuming at Keir Starmer for not supporting the US and Israel invasion of Iran – but does it matter?
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What’s the story?
"This is not Winston Churchill that we're dealing with".
Donald Trump is mad at Keir Starmer. He’s mad because the PM refused to join the US and Israel in military action against Iran.
UK politicians have been banging on about the 'special relationship' we have with the US for years, but that now appears to be on the rocks.
Speaking in the House of Commons today (4 March 2026), Starmer spoke of the UK's ongoing support for US defensive strikes on military targets – with Tory leader Kemi Badenoch calling on him to do more.
Trump has said Starmer's decision to prevent US planes from using British military bases has resulted in American planes "flying many extra hours" to attack their targets. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has promised US strikes will increase in intensity over the coming days and weeks.
“Starmer has invested so much political capital in the Trump relationship, and been willing to embarrass himself to keep Trump on-side on certain big, geopolitical questions,” says Lewis Goodall.
“Starmer’s actions give us an indication of how little he and the British Government believe there is any sort of plan when it comes to Iran.”
Trump, Rubio, JD Vance and Pete Hegseth have all spoken to the press about US justification in attacking Iran – but have contradicted each other every time.
“They have all given completely different accounts of why this action took place, and the more they spoke, the less clear it became about what this was all about,” says Jon Sopel.
The shadow of the Iraq war
There’s one big reason Starmer doesn’t want to join a US hunt in the Middle East for unconfirmed nuclear capabilities – and it’s the Iraq War.
He doesn’t want to follow in Tony Blair’s footsteps and have his legacy defined by a deeply unpopular war.
“The shadow of Iraq is hanging over 10 Downing Street,” Lewis says.
“What I find amazing is how little that shadow seems to be being cast on other political parties and across much of, in particular, the right wing press in this country.”
Lewis says the UK’s right wing is beating a “steady drumbeat for war” with no sense of what happened before, and no concept of what it might result in now.
The left, he adds, are demanding Starmer be outspoken against Trump – but he believes the most popular opinion lies somewhere in the middle.
And that’s exactly where the PM is already.
“The person who is actually embodying that is Starmer,” Lewis adds.
‘Stop hyperventilating about the special relationship’
Trump may be furious at the UK right now, but that’ll pass.
“Donald Trump has a history of falling out with people and saying obnoxious things about other leaders,” Jon says.
“You fall in and out of favour with Donald Trump.”
Trump has recently praised New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, having previously attacked the Democrat during his campaign for the position.
“I don't think it's any more than that at this stage, but there are people hyperventilating and asking if this is the end of the special relationship as we've known it.
“No it’s not, there's just been a disagreement.”
‘What the fuck are we doing in Iran?’
Trump won’t care too much about not having Keir Starmer’s support on his Iran invasion, it’s when the American population turns on him that he’ll take note.
Jon says there was no “preparation” for the invasion, and attacks on Iran are already a flop with the US population.
“He hasn't been able to sell this to the American people,” Jon says.
“He's going to claim victory, but he's going to stop the bombing within a week or two, once he sees oil prices going up at the pumps in America, and American's are asking 'what the fuck are we doing in Iran?'”