The Iran conflict has deepened the rift between the UK and the US. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak states that he will not bow to Trump.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has hinted that he will not yield to pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, which further shows what kind of impact the current Iran war is having on the so-called special relationship between the two countries, the U.K. and the U.S.

“Personally, I think that a lot of what’s being said and done is meant to pressure me, to make me change my mind, but I won’t do that,” Starmer said in an interview with Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast host Beth Rigby when asked about Trump’s recent criticisms. “As for the Iran war, I’ve said that we won’t be drawn into it, because I don’t think it’s in our national interest.”

Trump has repeatedly tried to pressure Starmer, urging him to change his stance on issues such as North Sea oil drilling and sovereignty over the Chagos Islands. The Chagos Islands are home to a joint U.K.-U.S. military base, located on Diego Garcia. Trump has tried to use that base to launch the initial military strikes against Iran. In recent months, the two leaders have also clashed over Greenland and tariffs.

At the end of the interview, Starmer was asked what advice he would give to himself, now that he had just taken office in 2024. He replied, “I won’t be swayed by others,” and “I won’t be persuaded to do things that I believe are not in the national interest.”

On Thursday, as Starmer was giving the interview, Trump was holding a cabinet meeting at the White House, where he again criticized the British prime minister. Trump said he was “disappointed” in Starmer because Starmer “did something shocking: he doesn’t want to help us.” He also belittled Britain’s aircraft carriers, saying, “Compared with ours, it’s basically toys.”

Starmer initially rejected the U.S. request, saying he had concerns about the legality of the strikes against Iran. But after Iran retaliated with a series of attacks against Britain’s allies in the Gulf, Starmer made some concessions—allowing the U.S. to carry out “specific and limited” defensive activities using British bases, such as striking Iran’s missile facilities. Afterwards, he expanded the scope of authorization again, bringing the capability to strike ships in the Strait of Hormuz as part of the target set for Iran strikes.

Starmer’s call to Trump on Thursday appears to have further enraged him, with Trump mentioning Diego Garcia.

“We need that island to land that beautiful B-2 bomber, and yet we’re told we can’t use it,” Trump said. “We’ve got to fly back to Missouri—that’s 17 hours of flight, not a few hours. I said, ‘Are you kidding me?’ This is not good. They made a big mistake.”

Trump said that despite his differences with Starmer, he still expected to welcome King Charles III of the U.K. for a state visit later this year, calling Charles III “my friend” and “a great gentleman.”

“He’ll be coming very soon, and you know we will be having a state banquet,” Trump said. “It’s going to be terrific.”

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