Starmer holds urgent talks with Trump to mend relationship after Middle East fallout

The two leaders spoke after President Trump told the PM that "we don't need people that join wars after we've already won" in a message on his Truth Social account.

A Downing Street spokesperson said the pair discussed the situation in the Middle East and the military cooperation between the UK and the US.

Read more: Foreign Secretary hits back after Trump tells Starmer UK 'not needed' in Iran war

Read more: Iran war LIVE - 'New Supreme Leader chosen' as Tehran burns after night of US and Israeli strikes

That included "the use of RAF bases in support of the collective self-defence of partners in the region".

"The prime minister also shared his heartfelt condolences with President Trump and the American people following the deaths of six US soldiers," the spokesperson adds.

It comes after Mr Trump took to social media on Saturday to say that the UK was "finally giving serious thought" to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East, while declining the offer in the same post.

"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," he 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!"

Sir Keir responded by saying the UK needs "seriousness, not political games".

Writing in the Sunday Mirror, the prime minister said: "While opposition parties seek to undermine Britain on the world stage, my Labour government is focused on protecting British people at home and abroad."

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper also hit back at the American leader's comments, telling LBC's Lewis Goodall that Sir Keir’s government “deals with substance, not social media posts".

She said: "I think my view is that we deal with substance, not with the social media posts.

"That's one of the things I've learned in doing this job, and that's what we need to concentrate on.

“The substance that's a substantive criticism. Well, the substance here is that the UK did not provide support for the initial US and Israel strikes last weekend, and that's because Keir Starmer took the decision that was not in the UK's national interest to do so.

"Not in accordance with our values. We had wanted the continued diplomacy negotiations to continue, and I don't underestimate how difficult those were, because we were involved in providing support for those negotiations. We wanted that to continue."

It comes amid mounting tensions between London and Washington over Sir Keir's lack of support for Mr Trump's war on Iran.

President Trump described Sir Keir as 'not Winston Churchill' for initially denying him permission to launch strikes on Iran from UK territory, including the joint-US base on Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands.

The American leader later said he was "very disappointed" by the PM, despite his British counterpart allowing US forces to fly missions for "specific and limited defensive purposes" last Sunday.

Defending his decision, Sir Keir said he did not believe in "regime change from the skies" and that the government must keep a "cool head".

He urged the US leader to de-escalate the crisis and negotiate with what is left of Iran's leadership.

Mr Trump's post followed reports on Saturday that the UK is preparing an aircraft carrier for possible deployment to the Middle East.

LBC understands the crew of HMS Prince of Wales have been told they must be ready to set sail in five days.

The acceleration of the readiness time means the giant £3 billion vessel would be able to respond more rapidly if a decision is taken to mobilise.

It means the carrier would be deployed alongside an escort of other vessels and a submarine if sent to the region.