Starmer ‘fed up’ with Iran war impact and says it is proof UK must reinforce European ties
Sir Keir Starmer has called on European allies to support NATO after Donald Trump’s threats to withdraw from the alliance, revealing the US president is “fed up” with rising bills for his war on Iran.
The Prime Minister said his government must “restructure our country” to ensure the UK is not “at the mercy of events abroad” as economic and diplomatic headwinds continue.
The conflict has seen NATO come under increasing pressure, with the US president accusing allies of “not being there when we need them” and repeating threats to walk away.
But speaking on the final day of his Gulf visit on Friday, Sir Keir insisted NATO was “in America’s interest” and called on European members to strengthen their commitment.
“This is in America’s interest, it is in Europe’s interest. NATO is a defense alliance that has kept us much safer than we would otherwise be for decades,” he said.
“This is the most effective military alliance the world has ever known. Do we Europeans need to do more? Yes, I have been making that claim to our European partners as much as anyone else for the last two years. We continue to make that claim and we will do so,” he added.
The comments came after US vice president JD Vance warned Tehran not to “play with us” as he traveled to Islamabad this weekend, where key talks between America and Iran will take place. “We look forward to negotiating. I think it will be positive,” he said.
Earlier, the president accused Iran of doing a “dishonorable” job by not reopening the Strait of Hormuz and not adhering to the fragile ceasefire agreement reached earlier this week by not allowing the passage of important supplies already blocked by Iran.
The warning about NATO follows the US president’s earlier speech targeting the alliance online following a meeting with Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Wednesday evening.
“NATO WAS NOT THERE WHEN WE NEEDED US, AND THEY WILL NOT BE THERE WHEN WE NEED IT AGAIN. DON’T FORGET THAT BIG, POORLY MANAGED PIECE OF ICE, GREENLAND!!!” He wrote at Truth Social.
The US president has previously raised the possibility of the US leaving NATO, describing NATO as a “paper tiger” after countries including Britain refused to engage in the conflict launched by the US and Israel or respond to Mr Trump’s appeal for help in reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Sir Keir’s stance was echoed by UK defense secretary John Healey, who insisted on Friday that the US remains “absolutely locked in” to NATO. He added that it would be better to “focus on our actions” rather than Mr. Trump’s social media posts.
“You know, if we focus on our actions rather than just the exchange of words and social media posts, then the bottom line for me is that America is absolutely locked into NATO – both with its benefits and its huge contributions,” he told the London Defense Conference.
Sir Keir spoke to Mr Trump on Thursday night about the need for a “practical plan” for ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz after a two-week conditional ceasefire is declared.
This came shortly after the prime minister criticized the US president over the knock-on effects of the Iran conflict, saying he was “fed up” with rising bills in the UK “due to the actions of Putin or Trump”.
Iran’s blockade of a key shipping route in retaliation for the US attack on Tehran has caused oil prices to soar and sparked wider fears about the impact on the cost of living in the UK. The International Monetary Fund warned that it would have to lower its economic growth forecasts because of the conflict and said the impact of the strait closure on global fuel supplies would continue “for some time.”
Sir Keir said the outbreak of war should serve as a warning to Britain to “build resilience” both at home and with its European allies.
“Britain has been plagued by crises for almost two decades,” he said, citing the 2008 financial crash, austerity, Brexit, Covid, the war in Ukraine and Liz Truss’s disastrous mini-budget.
“This time it will be different. The war in Iran must now become a line in the sand, because how we emerge from this crisis will define us all for a generation. And rather than hoping to return to the 2008 world, we will chart a new path for Britain in a new era, strengthening our energy, defenses and economic security.”
He added that resilience was “at the heart” of his approach to the war to avoid economic strain on families in Britain.
“That’s why, in addition to our actions in the region, we have also limited energy bills and invested heavily in domestic energy that can save us from bullies who manipulate gas prices.”
