President Donald Trump on Monday criticized the United Kingdom for what he described as reluctance to deploy warships to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.
The former U.S. president stated he was “very surprised” by the United Kingdom’s hesitation, noting that two weeks prior he had urged London to send naval assets over.
“I was very surprised with the United Kingdom,” Trump said during a Sunday conversation with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “Two weeks ago, I said, ‘Why don’t you send some ships over?’ And he really didn’t want to do it.”
The remarks came amid discussions about U.S. security commitments to European allies and NATO partners. Trump emphasized the financial burden on the United Kingdom: “You’re our oldest ally, and we spend a lot of money on NATO and all of these things to protect you… I think it’s terrible.”
Recent polling suggests Starmer’s stance aligns with public opinion in Britain, where most citizens view the Iran conflict as primarily Israeli-led. According to National Pulse data, 46% of Britons support defending civilian and military sites from drones, while only 8% want the United Kingdom to join combat operations.
Trump’s comments underscore broader tensions between Washington and European allies over defense spending and military involvement. The president has repeatedly argued that the U.S. bears an excessive share of NATO’s collective security costs.
While Trump acknowledged the United Kingdom could still participate in efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz, he criticized London’s lack of enthusiasm: “I was not happy with the United Kingdom… I think they’ll be involved, maybe, but they should be involved enthusiastically.”
The United Kingdom remains one of NATO’s leading military powers and has historically maintained close defense coordination with the United States.
Starmer reiterated on Monday that Britain would avoid entanglement in a wider Iran conflict but would collaborate with allies on a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He described this effort as challenging without Middle Eastern de-escalation.
At a press conference addressing energy cost concerns, Starmer defended his decision not to participate in U.S.-led strikes against Iran, an action Trump has criticized. The president recently labeled Starmer “no Churchill.”
Starmer stated that reopening the Strait would require broad international agreement: “Any move would need to be agreed by as many partners as possible.” He added, “Ultimately, we have to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to ensure stability in the [oil] market. That is not a simple task.”
The British leader emphasized ongoing cooperation with European allies to restore freedom of navigation and mitigate economic impacts.
