Starmer calls Trump in bid to mend fraught ties over Iran war

Starmer calls Trump in bid to mend fraught ties over Iran war Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 03/09/2026 - 09:47 British prime minister had initially denied US use of UK base at Diego Garcia in its attacks on Iran UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer meets US President Donald Trump at the White House on 27 February, 2025 (AFP) Off British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a phone call with US President Donald Trump on Sunday in a move widely seen as an attempt to clear the air after tensions over the US- Israeli war on Iran . According to a Downing Street statement summarising the conversation, Starmer discussed the UK's role in the ongoing war and offered his condolences over the deaths of US soldiers in Iranian attacks on US bases in the Gulf states. The statement said the pair discussed "the latest situation in the Middle East and the military cooperation between the UK and US through the use of RAF bases in support of the collective self-defence of partners in the region".