Donald Trump intensified his criticism of Keir Starmer today, targeting him over the latter’s stance on the conflict with Iran.

The U.S. President labeled the British Prime Minister as ‘disappointing’ during an impromptu press briefing in the Oval Office.

Highlighting a bust of Winston Churchill on a nearby table, Trump reiterated his jab that Sir Keir is ‘no Churchill.’

Trump also repeated his assertion that Sir Keir had proposed sending two UK aircraft carriers to the Middle East, a claim that British officials have refuted.

Expanding his critique, Trump condemned Labour’s immigration policy as ‘disastrous’ and criticized their support for wind turbines, which he claimed are harmful to birds.

These remarks were made during a press event featuring Trump and Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin in Washington, D.C. this afternoon.

Mr Trump’s frustration has become increasingly evident as European powers bat away his calls to send warships to reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz. 

Around a fifth of global oil supplies typically pass through the channel, but Iran has been managing to keep it effectively shut with missile and drone strikes.

Donald Trump branded Keir Starmer ‘disappointing’ in his latest free-form press conference in the Oval Office 

The PM hosted Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO chief Mark Rutte in Downing Street this afternoon as the US President’s wrath grew 

Sir Keir insisted yesterday that the UK would not get dragged into a ‘wider war’ after the US and Israel launched attacks on Tehran. 

France and Germany have also dismissed the idea of taking an active role while Iran conflict is raging. 

The PM – who hosted Volodymyr Zelensky in Downing Street today – has stressed the importance of keeping the focus on Ukraine’s campaign against Russian invasion.

In his latest hokey-cokey shift on calls for assistance from allies, Mr Trump insisted America did not need any help this afternoon. 

Asked whether the clashes had damaged his relationship with Sir Keir, Mr Trump said: ‘Well, he hasn’t been supportive, and I think it’s a big mistake.

‘You know, they make a lot of money on trade with the United States. I went out of my way.

‘As you know, they couldn’t make a deal with Biden, because they had no real administration to make a deal, Biden.

‘But we made a deal. We made a good deal for them and, frankly, probably wasn’t appreciated.

‘I do look forward to seeing the King. He’s going to be coming, as you know, very shortly, but, no, I was disappointed, because Keir was willing to send two aircraft carriers after we won, because essentially… there’s no threat for the aircraft carriers right now.

‘And I said, no, no, we want things sent before the war, not after the war is won.

‘So, yeah, I’m disappointed with Keir. I like him, I think he’s a nice man, but I’m disappointed.’

Mr Trump then repeated his assertion that ‘unfortunately Keir is no Winston Churchill’ and said the PM ‘doesn’t produce’.

The President told reporters: ‘Even the aircraft carriers, he would only send them after we essentially won.

‘I mean, he’s sending them when there are no planes left, when the missiles are down to like 8 per cent of the missiles.’

Asked if he had confidence in the PM, Mr Trump said: ‘It’s not for me, it’s really for the people of the UK to have confidence.

‘I mean, I’ve been very critical of Keir – and I did it in a friendly way – I said, if you don’t change your energy thing and get away from windmills and go back to oil and gas.

‘You have something that no other country has, very few countries have anything like it: The North Sea.

‘You have some of the greatest oil and oil deposits in the entire world. The North Sea, they don’t use it.’

Mr Trump added: ‘I think he’s a nice man, but I disagree with him on two things.

‘Primarily his immigration policy is a disaster, and his energy policy is a disaster – and they’re about the biggest policies you can have.

‘You’ve allowed millions and millions and millions of people to come into your country that shouldn’t be there. And, by the way, that’s all over Europe.’

France has flatly rejected the demand for a ‘joint effort’ in restoring the channel.

‘We are not a party to the conflict and therefore France will never take part in operations to open or liberate the Strait of Hormuz in the current context,’ French President Emmanuel Macron said following Trump’s request that allies help secure the crucial artery, effectively shut by Iran in response to US-Israeli strikes.

‘However, we are convinced that once the situation becomes calmer… we are ready, alongside other nations, to take responsibility for an escort system.’

In a furious post on Truth Social, Trump hit back at NATO’s rejection, calling the alliance a ‘one way street’ and declaring ‘we no longer ‘need,’ or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID!’

Confronted with Mr Macron’s comments this afternoon, Mr Trump declared: ‘He’ll be out of office very soon.’

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ‘it would be in the interest of everybody if this war stops’, adding: ‘The problem with wars is that it’s easier to start than to stop them, and it always gets out of hand.’

‘We have been consulting with regional countries like the Gulf countries, Jordan, Egypt, (about) whether we could also bring forward proposals for Iran, Israel and the US to get out of this situation so that everybody saves face,’ she said in an interview with Reuters.

Israel claimed it had killed two high-ranking Iranian commanders overnight. 

But there have been claims that even Mr Trump’s inner circle is growing concerned about the progress of the campaign.

Thirteen US troops have been killed in the conflict, with more than 200 injured across seven countries. And the consequences of the energy price spike will be fel around the world, including the US. 

‘We clearly just kicked [Iran’s] a** in the field, but, to a large extent, they hold the cards now,’ a White House source told Politico. 

‘They decide how long we’re involved, and they decide if we put boots on the ground. And it doesn’t seem to me that there’s a way around that, if we want to save face.’

Some allies fear Trump risks being dragged into an open-ended conflict just as the midterm elections approach, with the escalating war threatening to drive up the cost of living for voters already furious about affordability.

‘The terms have changed,’ said a second person familiar with the military operation. ‘The off-ramps don’t work anymore because Iran is driving the asymmetric action.’

The war has also caused a schism between top allies within Trump’s MAGA movement, including Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly, as the President has argued for years against regime-change wars in the Middle East.