Keir Starmer attempted to repair strained relations with Donald Trump over the war in Iran on Sunday, as Labor’s backlash over Tony Blair’s claim that the UK should have supported initial US airstrikes on Iran accelerated.
The prime minister spoke to the US president on Sunday afternoon following a barrage of criticism from Trump, who told his UK ally on Saturday that his help was not needed, even as the US continued to use British bases for attacks on Iran.
After a breakdown in relations between Trump and Starmer that led Trump to declare on social media that “We don’t need people joining wars after we’ve already won!”, the two world leaders spoke on Sunday to discuss their nations’ military cooperation.
A Downing Street spokesperson said the leaders “began by discussing the latest situation in the Middle East and military cooperation between the United Kingdom and the United States through the use of RAF bases in support of the collective self-defense of partners in the region.”
They added that Starmer also “shared his deepest condolences with President Trump and the American people over the deaths of six American soldiers” and that the two leaders “hoped to speak again soon.”
The call comes after Blair irritated senior Labor officials and MPs after saying in a private meeting that Starmer “should have backed the United States from the beginning” and allowed the Trump administration to use British air bases. He added: “If they are your ally and are an indispensable cornerstone for your security… you better show up when they want.”
Yvette Cooper rejected the former prime minister’s comments, saying she “did not agree” and added that Britain had to “learn the lessons” from the mistakes made in Iraq. “I don’t think any of those positions are in the UK’s national interest, and it is Keir Starmer’s responsibility to act in the UK’s national interest for British citizens,” he told Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips on Sky News.
Asked if he was calling Blair “a poodle”, he said: “I think the point is to make sure that we actually learn the lessons from some of the things that went wrong in Iraq, and I think that’s exactly what Keir Starmer has done.”
The call between Trump and Starmer came as four US bombers landed at an RAF base in Britain on Sunday afternoon to carry out “targeted defensive operations” to stop Iran from firing missiles into the Middle East, according to the Ministry of Defence.
The B-1 Lancers, which are 45 meters (146 feet) long and capable of carrying 24 cruise missiles, arrived at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, one on Friday night and three on Saturday morning, after Starmer previously granted permission for US “defensive” action against Iranian missile sites from UK bases.
The deployment comes days after Washington warned that attacks on Iran would “increase dramatically.”
