U.S. President Donald Trump sharply criticized the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday, accusing them of hesitating in their response to the ongoing U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, according to BBC News. Speaking at the White House, Trump said he was “not happy” with Britain’s reaction and remarked, “This is not Winston Churchill we’re dealing with.”
His comments came as tensions in the Middle East continued to spiral. Trump told reporters that “everything’s been knocked out in Iran,” referring to extensive damage from the strikes. Israel said it had launched fresh attacks on Iran’s “leadership compound,” including the presidential office, and promised more would follow.
The offensive began on Saturday when U.S. and Israeli forces killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a move that stunned the world and set off a wave of retaliatory attacks by Tehran across the region. The Iranian Red Crescent reported that the death toll has climbed to 787 since the bombings began.
Amid the chaos, the U.S. warned that an Iranian strike against the Saudi city of Dhahran, a key oil hub and home to an American consulate, was “imminent.” The fear of wider regional escalation has already shaken global markets. Oil and gas prices have surged, while shares across Europe and the U.S. fell sharply on Tuesday.
In London, Prime Minister Starmer announced that Britain would deploy helicopters equipped with counter-drone systems and send the air defense destroyer HMS Dragon to Cyprus after attacks on a British base there. “Our response will be firm and coordinated with our allies,” Starmer said, though Trump’s remarks suggested growing tension between Washington and London.
As air strikes continue to hammer Iran’s capital and beyond, the conflict shows no sign of easing and the world watches anxiously as oil markets, alliances, and lives hang in the balance.
