British Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly criticised both Donald Trump and Israel during a trip to Gulf nations, marking one of the sharpest breaks between London and Washington since the Iran war began.
Why it matters: The UK is the United States’ closest military ally. Starmer’s willingness to publicly rebuke Trump and call Israeli actions wrong signals growing transatlantic strain over how the Middle East conflict is being managed.
What Starmer said
Speaking to ITV’s Talking Politics podcast on Wednesday, Starmer said he was “fed up” with the impact of Trump and Putin on British energy prices. “I’m fed up with the fact that families across the country see their bills go up and down on energy because of the actions of Putin or Trump across the world,” he said.
On Israel’s continued strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon after the US-Iran ceasefire took effect, Starmer was direct. The strikes are “wrong” and “shouldn’t be happening,” he said.
The phone call
Starmer held a phone call with Trump hours after the public criticism. According to LBC, the two leaders discussed plans to reopen the Strait of Hormuz “as quickly as possible.” Neither Downing Street nor the White House characterised the call as tense.
Context
Oil prices have swung sharply since the Iran war began on 28 February, pushing up energy costs in the UK and across Europe. The two-week US-Iran ceasefire, agreed on 7 April, has brought temporary relief to markets but has not resolved the underlying conflict.
Israel has continued striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon despite the ceasefire, killing at least 254 people according to Lebanese authorities. Israel says Lebanon was not party to the ceasefire agreement and that Hezbollah remains a direct threat to its security.