Donald Trump has communicated to Sir Keir Starmer that the United States does not require Britain’s aircraft carriers in the Middle East.

The former president criticized the UK’s recent deliberations with a striking rebuke of the Prime Minister’s proposal.

On Truth Social, Trump remarked, “No need, Prime Minister Starmer. We’ve already secured victory without latecomers to the battlefield.”

This bold statement from Trump follows news of the UK’s intentions to deploy the HMS Prince of Wales to the Middle East amid escalating tensions with Iran and growing scrutiny over Britain’s military involvement.

Earlier this week, Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the Prime Minister, labeling him as “very, very uncooperative.”

Referring to Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands, Trump mentioned, “That island… it took us three to four days to figure out landing arrangements there.”

‘It would have been much more convenient landing there as opposed to flying many extra hours, so we are very surprised.’

Referring to Britain’s war-time PM, a bust of whom sits in the Oval Office, Trump added: ‘This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with.’

Donald Trump has told Sir Keir Starmer that the US does not Britain to send its aircraft carriers to the Middle East

The president’s fiery post comes after it emerged the UK was preparing to deploy HMS Prince of Wales (pictured) to the Middle East

The US President went on to criticise the UK’s approach to the ‘stupid island’ as he issued a fresh blast at Sir Keir’s bid to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

‘This is not the age of Churchill. I will say the UK has been very, very uncooperative with that stupid island that they have, that they gave away and took a 100-year lease,’ he told reporters in the Oval Office, as he sat alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

‘Having to do with, perhaps, indigenous people claiming the island that never even saw the island before. What’s that all about? They ruin relationships, it’s a shame.’

In his latest outburst, Trump appeared to tell Sir Keir not to send British aircraft carriers to the Middle East, as HMS Prince of Wales is currently docked in Portsmouth, undergoing repairs and maintenance.

The £3billion warship carries F-35 fighter jets and would be deployed alongside an escort of other vessels and a submarine if sent to the region.

On Thursday, Sir Keir urged Mr Trump to ‘de-escalate’ the crisis and negotiate with what is left of Iran’s leadership. But the PM admitted that, despite the global crisis, he had not spoken to the US President for almost a week following their spectacular falling-out. 

Sir Keir has faced a growing chorus of criticism from allies in the Middle East over the lack of preparations that led to Cyprus looking for military support from France, Italy and Spain – rather than Britain – after an RAF base on the island was hit by an Iranian drone. 

The PM has suggested that the fallout from the conflict could go on for months, with potentially huge impacts on energy bills and the cost of living – and the possibility of a new refugee crisis.

He acknowledged that relatives of the tens of thousands of British citizens trapped in the war zone were ‘worried sick’ but said a mass evacuation ‘is not going to happen overnight’.

He added: ‘I want you to know that your Government is resolute in our response, at home and abroad.

‘We will do everything we can to protect British lives, uphold British values and safeguard the national interest.’

Sir Keir did not deny reports suggesting that he had wanted to allow US jets to fly ‘defensive’ missions from British bases from the outset, but was blocked by Ed Miliband and other senior ministers who questioned whether having a positive relationship with the US was ‘a good thing right now for the Labour Party’.

Asked whether Mr Miliband was now in charge of foreign policy, the PM’s spokesman said: ‘Clearly the PM and Foreign Secretary have been key players in decision-making around this, along with key members of the Cabinet, as you would expect.’

On Thursday night, Trump told the New York Post: ‘It was very disappointing – his performance, having to do with our tremendous attack on a hostile nation.

‘I was very surprised at Keir. Very disappointed.’

Sir Keir made a partial U-turn on Sunday after Iran lashed out at civilian targets in Gulf states and RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, saying US jets would be able to fly from British bases for the ‘limited’ objective of destroying Iranian missile launchers and stockpiles.

He told MPs on Monday that an estimated 300,000 British nationals in the Gulf region were ‘at risk’ as Tehran targeted hotels and airports.

But he ruled out going further, saying he would not participate in US-led attempts to bring about ‘regime change from the skies’.

Mr Trump said the PM took ‘far too long’ to lift the ban on US forces flying from RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia.

The US President said he was ‘very disappointed in Keir’ over his attempts to hand sovereignty of the strategically vital Diego Garcia to Mauritius.

Sir Keir acknowledged that Mr Trump had ‘expressed his disagreement’, but insisted it was in Britain’s national interest to abide strictly by international law.

He told MPs repeatedly that any military action had to have a ‘lawful basis’ and a ‘viable thought-through plan’ – and suggested the US had neither.

Earlier on Tuesday, in a newspaper interview, the US President said Sir Keir had ‘not been helpful’ and had put the special relationship in peril after failing to back his war with Iran.

Mr Trump said it was ‘very sad’ that relations between Britain and America are now ‘not like it used to be’.

Blaming Sir Keir directly, Mr Trump said: ‘He has not been helpful. I never thought I’d see that.

‘I never thought I’d see that from the UK. We love the UK. It’s very sad to see that the relationship is obviously not what it was.

‘This was the most solid relationship of all. And now we have very strong relationships with other countries in Europe.

‘It’s not going to matter, but (Sir Keir) should have helped… he should have. I mean, France has been great. They’ve all been great. The UK has been much different from others.’

He even suggested that the PM’s decision ‘could be’ because he is pandering to Muslim voters as the Labour leader was accused of ‘pearl-clutching’ over US attacks on Iran that wiped out Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Mr Trump said that he ‘loves’ the UK and its people but added it is ‘not such a recognisable country’ anymore.

‘Stop people from coming in from foreign lands who hate you,’ he told the PM.

Trump’s broadside leaves US-UK relations in a parlous state and is likely to provide further ammunition to the many critics who have accused Sir Keir of damaging Britain’s standing on the global stage.

The US President also repeated his frequent criticism of immigration and energy policies in the UK, saying: ‘I love that country, my mother was born there. But the UK, what they’re doing with energy and what they’re doing with immigration is horrible.’

He urged Sir Keir to ‘open up the North Sea’ and vented about ‘windmills all over the place that are ruining the country, ruining the landscapes, ruining the beautiful fields’.

This is a breaking news story. More to follow.