US President Donald Trump said the United States does not need the United Kingdom’s aircraft carriers in the Middle East, criticizing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer amid ongoing US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the UK was “finally giving serious thought” to sending two aircraft carriers to the region but suggested the move would come too late.
“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.”
Trump later reiterated the comment while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, saying it was not the right time for the carriers to be deployed.
“We don’t need them,” Trump said. “It would have been nice to have them two weeks ago.”
The remarks came after the UK Ministry of Defence confirmed that one of Britain’s two aircraft carriers had been placed on advanced readiness in Portsmouth for possible deployment to the Middle East.
A British destroyer, HMS Dragon, is also preparing to leave for Cyprus, according to reports.
The UK government has said it is not participating in the offensive campaign against Iran but is operating defensively in the region.
In a statement, Starmer said Britain agreed to allow the United States to use British bases for what he described as “limited defensive operations.”
The development comes as US bomber aircraft were seen landing in the UK, where American forces have begun using British bases for specific defensive missions linked to the ongoing conflict.
Starmer also condemned attacks launched by Iran following US strikes, saying the “only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at source.”
Millions of Filipinos live and work across the Middle East, including in countries hosting military bases and key infrastructure linked to the regional situation.
