Washington is reportedly pressuring the new UK prime minister to continue his predecessor’s policy
US President Donald Trump is allegedly pressing the new British prime minister, Andy Burnham, to continue allowing American forces to use UK military bases for strikes on Iran, The Telegraph claimed on Tuesday.
The report came after the two leaders held their first phone call on Monday, shortly after Burnham formally took office. Trump described the conversation as “very good” and praised the “outstanding relationship” between the US and UK.
According to Trump, the two discussed North Sea oil, trade, their military alliance, and the demining of the Strait of Hormuz, among other issues. Burnham also invited the US president to Manchester for next year’s G20 summit.
Neither side publicly said whether the use of British military facilities was discussed. However, The Telegraph reported that Washington has demanded that Burnham continue to let the US use RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia, the British-controlled military base in the Indian Ocean.
A US official told the newspaper that Trump remained deeply disappointed with NATO countries that had refused or restricted American access to their bases during the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Burnham’s predecessor, Keir Starmer, initially rejected a US request to use Diego Garcia for strikes on Iran. The decision angered Trump, who later said he was “very disappointed” in the British prime minister, and contributed to a sharp deterioration in relations between London and Washington.
Britain later allowed American aircraft to operate from RAF Fairford, but the base has since become a focus of anti-war protests demanding that London prevent British territory from being used in attacks on Iran.
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