The special relationship just got a lot less special. After spending the better part of a week fuming at European allies for not joining his illegal war against Iran, President Donald Trump turned his Truth Social account on the UK this Saturday, with a post that practically drips with resentment.
The trigger was a UK Ministry of Defence announcement that HMS Prince of Wales, one of Britain’s two flagship aircraft carriers, had been placed on “high readiness” — a signal that London was finally considering joining the fight.
Trump’s response was as childish as ever, and anything but grateful.
“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!”
The post is a masterclass in Trump-brand ingratitude: backhanded praise, an implicit threat, and a triumphal declaration of victory, all before a ceasefire exists.
The rupture didn’t start with Saturday’s post. When the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran on February 8, Keir Starmer had already blocked American forces from using British bases to conduct the attacks, citing concerns about international law. (At least one entity in NATO still cares about that.)
The UK also drew Trump’s ire over the Chagos Islands deal, which would return the island chain — home to the joint U.S.-UK military base at Diego Garcia — to Mauritius. Trump had previously argued on Truth Social that Diego Garcia was essential to any potential operation against Iran.
Britain isn’t alone in this decision, of course. Spain also refused to allow American planes to use its jointly operated bases in Andalusia, prompting Trump to threaten to “cut off all trade” with the country. It seems that in 2026, you either capitulate to Trump’s whims or you face the wrath of a man who treats alliances like loyalty pledges.
The phrase that’s worth noting here is “we will remember.” It’s vague enough to mean anything, and specific enough to be a genuine warning.
Whether or not the Iran war is as won as Trump insists (the man has already declared victory while simultaneously demanding Iran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER” in all caps) a political fallout with Britain might get out of hand fast.
Even the special relationship might not survive Donald Trump’s tantrums.
