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Trump says US does not need UK aircraft carriers for Iran war
United States President Donald Trump has posted on social media that he does not need the United Kingdom to deploy aircraft carriers to the Middle East, amid the ongoing war with Iran.
Saturday’s post on Truth Social follows a statement from the UK’s Ministry of Defence that one of its two flagship aircraft carriers, the HMS Prince of Wales, has been placed on “high readiness”.
“The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, maybe the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East,” Trump wrote.
“That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer — But we will remember. We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!”
The post, with its reference to the UK as a “once great ally”, signals a deepening rift between the two countries that has emerged since Trump returned to office last year.
The divide appears to have deepened over the past week, as the US and Israel continue to hammer Iran as part of a war they launched on February 28.
The conflict has sparked fears across the Middle East, as retaliatory strikes from Tehran target US allies across the region.
Already, an estimated 1,332 people have been killed in Iran, and the US has confirmed the deaths of six of its service members. More deaths have been reported in countries like Lebanon, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq.
The UK government has increased its involvement in the war on Iran, widely considered illegal under international law.
The UK Defence Ministry, for instance, said on Saturday that the government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer had allowed the US to use its military bases for what it termed “limited defensive purposes”.
The bases include RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and tbe Diego Garcia site in the Chagos Islands, located in the Indian Ocean. Initially, there had been reports that Starmer had blocked the US use of the bases.
In the immediate aftermath of the initial US-Israeli strike, Starmer appeared to blanche at the prospect of joining the war.
He and the leaders of France and Germany issued a joint statement, underscoring that any actions they might take would be defensive in nature.
“We will take steps to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region, potentially through enabling necessary and proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran’s capability to fire missiles and drones at their source,” the joint statement said.
“We have agreed to work together with the US and allies in the region on this matter.”
But Starmer has had to push back on domestic criticism both for and against joining the war.
On Monday, he told the UK Parliament, “We are not joining the US and Israeli offensive strikes”, citing the need to protect “Britain’s national interest” and “British lives”.
The war in Iran remains largely unpopular in the UK. The polling firm Survation conducted a survey over the last week of 1,045 British adults, and it found that 43 percent of respondents called the war not justifiable.
When asked if they supported Starmer’s initial decision not to allow the US to use British bases, 56 percent of respondents approved. Only 27 percent said it was the wrong choice.
Thousands of protesters gathered outside the US embassy in London on Saturday to call for an end to the ballooning conflict.
But Trump has upped his criticism of Starmer over the past week, further fraying relations with the UK government.
On March 3, for instance, he held an Oval Office meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz where he said repeatedly he was “not happy with the UK”.
Of Starmer, Trump added, “This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with.”
Trump has long admired Churchill and last year installed a bust of the wartime prime minister in the Oval Office, just as he had during his first term.
By contrast, the US president has issued a flood of criticism against Starmer, particularly for his 2024 decision to transfer control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
The transfer comes after the International Court of Justice found the UK acted unlawfully in 1965 by separating the islands from Mauritius to create a separate colony.
The deal with Mauritius, however, allows the US and the UK to maintain a military base on Diego Garcia, part of the archipelago.
Trump has repeatedly slammed the transfer, however, writing on social media that “giving away extremely important land is an act of GREAT STUPIDITY”.
Tensions between the US and UK also rose in January after Trump told Fox News that NATO allies had “stayed a little off the frontlines” during the US war in Afghanistan.
Starmer responded that he found Trump’s comments “to be insulting and frankly appalling”.
The Trump administration, however, has signalled it is pivoting away from its traditional European allies in favour of more politically aligned countries.
At a summit on Saturday with right-wing Latin American leaders, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared to praise the attendees while casting shade on other allies.
“At a time when we have learned that oftentimes an ally, when you need them, maybe may not be there for you, these are countries that have been there for us,” Rubio told the summit.
[Aljazeera]
The United States declared independence from the British crown 250 years ago – but this week, it could not get enough of it.
From the minute King Charles and Queen Camilla stepped onto the White House South Lawn, US networks dumped their standard diet of political warfare and breaking news for something rare: pure pageantry.
In a country that seems to agree on almost nothing, the British royals managed something close to a clean sweep – drawing warm receptions from both sides of a political spectrum where neutral ground is rare.
The visit came at a fraught time in US-British relations, with the White House and Downing Street at odds over the war in Iran, straining a relationship both governments insist remains unshakeable.
The reviews following the King’s appearances at the White House, in Congress and in New York were warm across the political divide.
A commentator in the conservative Washington Examiner wrote that the UK needed more than conventional diplomacy – and that King Charles delivered.
“His Majesty’s Government under scandal-plagued Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer needed the monarchy to do what only the king could do,” the editorial said.
The King’s comments in Congress and at the White House’s lavish banquet on Tuesday – mixing humour with history and a call for unity – also were widely praised.
Some saw them as a subtle rebuke of President Trump.
“Sometimes it takes an outside perspective to see what’s really going on,” an opinion writer wrote in the Arizona Republic. “It’s striking to have a king remind us of what democracy is all about.”
For months, Donald Trump – a committed Anglophile and avid fan of the Royals – repeatedly told reporters that he was excited for the King’s visit. That excitement was on full display throughout the King’s visit to Washington, in which the world saw a warmer version of a president not shy to make his feelings known.
Uncharacteristically, Trump largely stuck to a script, making no mention of policy disagreements with Downing Street and lauding the long ties between the US and Britain.
“Before we ever proclaimed our independence, Americans carried within us the rare gifts of moral courage,” he said. “And it came from a small but mighty kingdom from across the sea.”
On Capitol Hill, where the King became only the second British monarch to address a joint session of Congress, Charles received a standing ovation – though some in the room heard something more pointed in his words.
“As opposed to Keir Starmer, who is looked at…as a leftist weenie, we saw in King Charles – someone who is proud of Britain,” Washington Republican Representative Michael Baumgartner told the BBC. “I think that was good.”
The warm welcome on Capitol Hill was not lost on President Trump.
“He got the Democrats to stand, I’ve never been able to do that. I couldn’t believe it,” Trump said at the banquet a few hours later. “They liked him more than they’ve ever liked any Republican or Democrat, actually.”
Elizabeth Holmes, an expert on the Royal Family and author, told the BBC that many members of the American public are broadly interested in the family, even as that interest has ebbed and flowed over the years.
“I think the fascination is rooted in a combination of novelty and distance,” she said. “It’s not something we have here.”
The King and Queen traveled to New York City on Wednesday where they made a few stops, including one at the 9/11 Memorial. Jacob Knutton, who manages a British-themed restaurant and store in New York, says business has been “a lot busier” around the King’s visit.
“There’s definitely been a lot of people talking about it,” said Knutton, who grew up in London and Australia. “Americans are talking about it and trying to get our opinions on it.”
But not every American is as enthused.
While recent statistics are hard to come by, a YouGov poll conducted in 2024 found that only 42% of Americans held a favourable view of King Charles.
In comparison, his mother, Queen Elizabeth, garnered a 67% approval rating. Over three quarters of those polled – 76% – held a favourable view of the King’s ex-wife, Princess Diana, who died in 1997.
According to Holmes, in the eyes of some Americans, Charles had a “far less compelling” narrative than his mother, who became Queen at a young age.
US feelings about King Charles are further complicated by his complex relationship with son Prince Harry, Holmes added.
Data from Google Trends suggests that US-based searches for the King during the visit spiked by 20 to 25 times over normal, and by 50 times during his speech to Congress.
Others who haven’t followed the royal visit closely, still are excited. “I think it’s cool that he’s here,” said Harry James, 21, who works in a fish and chips shop in New York. “It’s cool we can keep these traditions going.”
Holmes believes the visit already has improved US perceptions of the King. “Trump is such a polarising figure, and I think people were very eager to see their interactions,” she said.
His dinner comments, in particular, have “really taken off”.
“I think people are delighted to see British wit on display,” she added.
Near the White House on Tuesday, some of those who turned out to watch the King’s motorcade pass said they felt hopeful.
“It’s natural for human beings to disagree,” said Maribeth Massie, of Maine, who watched the King’s motorcade near the White House on Monday. “Hopefully they’ll lay some common ground together and move forward.”
Knutton also hopes the visit helps – in part for his business’ sake. His store imports nearly all of its goods from the UK, and feels the pinch of Trump’s tariffs, he said.
“I’m sure it will have an effect,” he said. “But I’m not expecting magical wand-waving.”
[BBC]
Oil prices have soared following reports that the US is preparing for an “extended” blockade of Iran.
The global benchmark oil price, Brent crude, briefly hit $120 (£89) a barrel on Wednesday evening, its highest price since 2022.
The BBC understands that energy executives including Chevron chief executive Mike Wirth met US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday to discuss how to limit the fallout from the conflict on American consumers.
Oil traders appear to have taken the meeting as a sign the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz will continue for a long time.
The executives discussed topics including domestic energy production, progress in Venezuela, oil futures, natural gas, and shipping, according to a White House official.
They described the meeting as being part of the President’s regular meetings with energy executives to discuss their industry.
The meeting follows separate reports from the Wall Street Journal that US President Donald Trump has instructed aides to prepare to extend the ongoing blockade of Iran’s ports, in an effort to squeeze the country’s economy.
Iran has said it will continue to disrupt traffic travelling through the Strait of Hormuz in response to the US blockade.
[BBC]
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Heat Index at Caution Level in the North-central, Eastern, and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Kurunegala, Monaragala, Vavuniya, Mullaittivu and Kilinochchi districts during the day time
Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
Issued at 3.30 p.m. on 29 April 2026, valid for 30 April 2026.
The Heat index, the temperature felt on the human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the North-central, Eastern, and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Kurunegala, Monaragala, Vavuniya, Mullaittivu and Kilinochchi districts during the day time.
The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.
Effect of the heat index on the human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.
ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.
Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491
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