Finance
Trump 'very disappointed' with UK's Starmer for initially blocking use of air bases, Telegraph says
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 2, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 2, 2026
Quick Summary
Donald Trump expressed “very disappointed” at UK PM Keir Starmer’s initial refusal to allow U.S. use of Diego Garcia and RAF Fairford for strikes on Iran, calling the delay “probably never happened” between allies. Starmer later reversed the decision for limited defensive use.
Trump 'very disappointed' with UK's Starmer for blocking use of air bases, Telegraph says
Trump Criticizes UK Decision on Air Base Use Amid Iran Tensions
Initial Denial and Subsequent Approval of Air Base Use
LONDON, March 2 (Reuters) - Donald Trump said he was "very disappointed" with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for not allowing the U.S. to use the Diego Garcia air base to carry out strikes on Iran, the Daily Telegraph quoted the U.S. president as saying in an interview.
Britain had reportedly initially denied the U.S. permission to conduct air strikes from its bases, but on Sunday evening Starmer said he was accepting a request for their use in any "defensive" strikes the U.S. wanted to make against Iranian targets.
Trump's Reaction to Starmer's Decision
In an interview published on Monday Trump told the British newspaper that it took "too long" for Starmer to change his mind.
"That's probably never happened between our countries before," he told the Telegraph, adding: "It sounds like he was worried about the legality."
Strategic Importance of Diego Garcia
Trump said Starmer should have approved from the get-go the American use of Diego Garcia - a strategically important U.S.-UK air base in the Indian Ocean - saying Iran was responsible for killing "a lot of people from your country".
Recent Escalations and Regional Impact
Britain was not involved in the joint U.S.-Israel air strikes on Iran that killed the country's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday.
Since attacks on Iran started on Saturday, Iran has been targeting Gulf countries with missiles, and on Sunday an Iranian-made drone hit Britain's RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus, causing limited damage and no casualties.
Trump's Criticism of Chagos Islands Deal
Trump said it was "useful" that the U.S. would now be able to launch operations from Diego Garcia, as he also criticised a deal Starmer has made over the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, where Diego Garcia is based.
(Reporting by Sarah YoungEditing by William Schomberg and William James)
Key Takeaways
- •Trump publicly criticized Starmer’s delay and legal hesitation regarding U.S. access to UK bases, marking a rare moment of tension in U.S.–UK relations. (thesun.co.uk)
- •Starmer eventually approved U.S. access to Diego Garcia and RAF Fairford for defensive strikes under international law, after initial reluctance. (washingtonpost.com)
- •The dispute is linked to broader concerns over sovereignty of Diego Garcia amid the Chagos Islands handover to Mauritius — a deal Trump previously condemned as a “big mistake.” (yahoo.com)
References
Frequently Asked Questions about Trump 'very disappointed' with UK's Starmer for initially blocking use of air bases, Telegraph says
1Why was Donald Trump disappointed with Keir Starmer?
Trump was disappointed because Starmer initially blocked US use of UK air bases to strike Iran.
2What was the disagreement between the US and UK about?
The UK initially denied the US permission to conduct air strikes on Iran from British bases.
3Did the UK government eventually allow use of its air bases?
Yes, Prime Minister Starmer later allowed the US to use UK bases for defensive strikes on Iran.
4Which UK air base was involved in the controversy?
The Diego Garcia air base was specifically mentioned in the disagreement.
5What concern did Starmer have about approving the US request?
Trump suggested Starmer was worried about the legality of using UK bases for strikes.
