Trump 'not happy' with UK's response to Middle East conflict as he claims Iran has been 'literally obliterated'
The US president has called for countries including the UK to join a mission to protect shipping
US President Donald Trump has said he is “not happy” with Sir Keir Starmer after the Prime Minister said he wanted a “viable” option to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
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Iran has effectively shut the vital oil and gas shipping route by targeting vessels in response to the US-Israeli air strikes.
Mr Trump has called for countries including the UK to join a mission to protect shipping.
But the Prime Minister, who has so far resisted the US president’s demands, said: “We’re working with all of our allies, including our European partners, to bring together a viable collective plan that can restore freedom of navigation in the region as quickly as possible and ease the economic impacts.”
In response, Mr Trump said the UK’s approach to the conflict was “terrible”.
“I was very surprised with the United Kingdom, because the United Kingdom, two weeks ago, I said, ‘Why don’t you send some ships over’ and he really didn’t want to do it.
“I said ‘You don’t want to do it? We’ve been with you. You’re our oldest ally and we spend a lot of money on Nato and all of these things to protect you’."
He added: “I think it’s terrible. I was very surprised.”
Read more: Should Starmer help clear up Trump’s mess in the Middle East?
It comes as the US president suggested countries involved in protecting shipping in the Strait of Hormuz would face “very few shots” from Iran.
Criticising NATO nations that have failed to support the US thus far, Mr Trump said: "The level of enthusiasm matters to me. We have some countries where we have 45,000 soldiers, great soldiers, protecting them from harm’s way. And we have done a great job.
“And when we want to know ‘do you have any minesweepers?’, well ‘we’d rather not get involved, sir’.
“You mean for 40 years we are protecting you and you don’t want to get involved in something that is very minor, very few shots are going to be taken because they don’t have many shots left."
The US president's comments come after Sir Keir Starmer said today the UK is working to develop a “viable, collective plan” to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible.
Keir Starmer insisted the UK will not be drawn into a "wider war" in the Middle East today insisting he wanted to see it end as "quickly as possible".
Knocking back Donald Trump's call for warships in the Strait of Hormuz, the Prime Minister said Britain is working with its allies and European partners to reopen the vital shipping waterway in the Gulf of Oman after it was blocked by Iran.
Speaking from Downing Street, the Prime Minister said Britain has already acted alongside other countries to release emergency oil stocks at a level that is "completely unprecedented".
He added: "But ultimately we have to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to ensure stability in the market.
"We're working with all of our allies, including our European partners, to bring together a viable collective plan that can restore freedom of navigation in the region as quickly as possible."
It comes after Donald Trump warned Nato faces a "very bad future" if it fails to help the US reopen the waterway.
"If there’s no response or if it’s a negative response I think it will be very bad for the future of NATO,” Mr Trump warned on Sunday evening.
“We’ll see if they help us. Because I’ve long said that we’ll be there for them but they won’t be there for us,” he told the Financial Times.
But the Prime Minister has so far resisted Mr Trump’s demands to send Royal Navy warships to help secure the vital shipping route for oil and gas.
He told reporters on Monday the UK “will not be drawn into the wider war”, adding that “our priority is always the national interest, and so we have been clear and consistent in our objectives throughout this conflict."
Sir Keir also announced £53 million in support for “those households that are most exposed” to rising heating oil prices.
He added that the Government will give a “legal direction” to energy companies to pass on “every penny of the savings that we delivered at last year’s budget” to consumers.
Tehran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping route used by oil tankers transporting the fuel out of the Middle East, has sparked global price spikes.
Speaking to LBC on Sunday, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said "the cost of living is the number one priority for this government", as he promised LBC listeners their energy bills will be protected.
He said the Government is still looking at all options of what that support could look like, whether that be targeted or universal.