Donald Trump recently expressed his belief that King Charles would have supported him in military actions against Iran. The former US president speculated that King Charles might have shown more willingness to provide military backing than the current British Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer.
Trump has repeatedly criticized Starmer for his reluctance to involve the UK more actively in the conflict with Iran. The former president has been vocal about his dissatisfaction with the UK’s current stance, particularly concerning the strategic reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has blocked, affecting the flow of oil and other essential goods.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Trump remarked, “I think he [Charles] would have taken a very different stand [on the war in Iran], but he doesn’t do that. I mean, he’s a great gentleman.” His comments imply a sense of admiration for King Charles and a belief that the monarch’s approach might have aligned more closely with his own.
The tension between Trump and Starmer has raised concerns about the potential impact on King Charles’s upcoming visit to the United States. Observers worry that the friction could overshadow the visit, given the political dynamics at play.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Trump said: ‘I think he [Charles] would have taken a very different stand [on the war in Iran], but he doesn’t do that. I mean, he’s a great gentleman.’
There have been concerns that the King’s upcoming visit to the United States would be tainted by the tensions between Trump and Starmer.
But the President shrugged this off, insisting Charles has ‘nothing to do with’ his and Starmer’s fallout.
Trump added: ‘I like him [the King]. I always liked him as a prince. He’s a good man, a great representative for your country.’
Donald Trump said he believed the King would have backed him in the war against Iran
Trump implied that the King would have been more forthcoming with military support than Keir Starmer
The President made an address to the nation yesterday, when he vowed to bomb Iran ‘into the Stone Ages’ if it did not make a deal
Trump has long been known to admire the British Royal family.
He had deep respect for the late Queen, whom he met twice, and was clearly touched by his state visit last September, when Charles hosted him at Windsor Castle.
Trump’s latest compliments for the King will raise hopes of the visit repairing some of the damage done to the UK-US relationship.
Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said the US and UK had a ‘deep and special partnership that is in action every day’.
‘In terms of His Majesty the King he is a really significant and subtle diplomat, I think it’s fair to say, as head of state for our country,’ he told Politico’s Westminster Insider podcast.
Asked whether the King would need those skills in the US, Mr Thomas-Symonds said: ‘I think he displays them on every occasion you see him on the world stage.’
Meanwhile, in an address to the nation last night, Trump claimed to have achieved near-victory in Iran, predicting that another two to three weeks of strikes would be needed to finish the job.
He vowed to bomb Iran ‘back to the Stone Ages’ if it didn’t do a deal, though did not indicate what the terms might be.
The President was uncharacteristically low-energy during his speech, and did not reveal any major developments.
One question he failed to address was whether the ground troop reinforcements that have been dispatched to the Middle East would be deployed.
He also did nothing to reassure global oil markets spooked by the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz. He again urged countries such as the UK who ‘can’t get fuel’ to find ‘courage’ and ‘go to the Strait and just take it.’
Shortly after the President spoke, Brent crude oil jumped 5 per cent to $106 a barrel.
Asian markets also slumped as Trump did not say what would signal an end to the conflict – just that the fighting would be more intense before it ended.
‘We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two or three weeks, we’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages where they belong,’ Trump warned.
He challenged US allies to go and ‘take’ the Strait of Hormuz, proclaiming that the US didn’t need the oil from the ships that had been blocked by Iran since the conflict began in late February.
‘I have a suggestion. No. 1, buy oil from the United States of America, we have plenty, we have so much,’ Trump said.
‘And No. 2, build up some delayed coverage – should have done it before, should have done it with us as we asked – go to the Strait and just take it. Protect it. Use it for yourselves,’ he continued.
