Donald Trump said he believes King Charles would have backed him in the war against Iran.
He suggested the King would have been more forthcoming with military support than Keir Starmer has been.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Trump said: ‘I think he [Charles] would have taken a very different stand [on the war in Iran], but he doesn’t do that. I mean, he’s a great gentleman.’
This represents yet another dig at Starmer, after Trump has repeatedly lambasted the Prime Minister for refusing his demands for greater involvement in the Middle East.
Most recently, Trump has called for the UK and other allies to assist in re-opening the Strait of Hormuz, which the Iranians have closed in order to disrupt the supply of oil and other vital products.
There have been concerns that the King’s upcoming visit to the United States would be tainted by the tensions between Trump and Starmer over the UK’s involvement in the war.
But the President shrugged this off, insisting Charles has ‘nothing to do with’ his and Starmer’s fallout.
Trump added: ‘I like him [the King]. I always liked him as a prince. He’s a good man, a great representative for your country.’
Donald Trump said he believed the King would have backed him in the war against Iran
Trump implied that the King would have been more forthcoming with military support than Keir Starmer
The President made an address to the nation yesterday, when he vowed to bomb Iran ‘into the Stone Ages’ if it did not make a deal
Trump has long been known to admire the British Royal family.
He harboured deep respect for the late Queen, whom he met twice, and was visibly touched by his state visit last September.
Trump’s latest compliments for the King will raise hopes that the visit could repair some of the damage done to the relationship between the UK and the US.
Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said the US and UK had a ‘deep and special partnership that is in action every day’.
‘In terms of His Majesty the King he is a really significant and subtle diplomat, I think it’s fair to say, as head of state for our country,’ he told Politico’s Westminster Insider podcast.
Asked whether the King would need those skills in the US, Mr Thomas-Symonds said: ‘I think he displays them on every occasion you see him on the world stage.’
Meanwhile, in an address to the nation last night, Trump claimed to have achieved near-victory in Iran, predicting that another two to three of strikes would be needed.
He vowed to bomb Iran ‘back to the Stone Ages’ if it didn’t do a deal, though did not indicate what the terms might be.
The President was uncharacteristically low-energy during his speech, and did not reveal any major developments.
One question he failed to address was whether the ground troop reinforcements that have been dispatched to the Middle East would be deployed.
He also did nothing to reassure global oil markets spooked by the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz. He again urged countries such as the UK who ‘can’t get fuel’ to find ‘courage’ and ‘go to the Strait and just take it.’
Shortly after the President spoke, Brent crude oil jumped 5 per cent to $106 a barrel.
