According to a report by Times of Israel, on Tuesday March 3, 2026, US President Donald Trump has declared that the historic relationship between the United States and Britain is “not like it used to be,” marking a significant deterioration in the so-called special relationship amid disputes over military operations against Iran.
Trump’s assessment came during a White House meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, where he openly criticized UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s handling of American requests to use British military bases for strikes on Iran. The president’s comments signal a dramatic shift in the traditionally close alliance between Washington and London.
The president expressed particular frustration over delays in securing base access, stating, “The UK has been very, very uncooperative. I’m not happy with the UK. It’s taken three, four days for us to work out where we can land.” His criticism escalated further when he compared Starmer unfavorably to Britain’s wartime leader, saying, “This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with.”
The diplomatic rift emerged after Starmer initially refused to permit any British involvement in Washington’s conflict with Iran. Speaking to parliament, Starmer emphasized that his government “does not believe in regime change from the skies,” a stance that drew immediate criticism from Trump.
While Starmer eventually agreed to allow US forces to use two British military bases for “specific and limited defensive purpose,” the delay angered the American president. In an interview with The Sun, Trump suggested the relationship had fundamentally changed, noting, “This was the most solid relationship of all. And now we have very strong relationships with other countries in Europe,” specifically mentioning France and Germany.
The special relationship between the two nations has historically been anchored in defense cooperation and intelligence sharing dating back to World War II. However, any potential military action in the Middle East carries particular political sensitivity in Britain following the controversial 2003 Iraq invasion supported by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair.See_More…