(Web Desk) - US President Trump has accused UK Prime Minister Starmer of seeking to "join wars after we've already won" and says that "we don't need" UK aircraft carriers.
The comments, posted on Trump's Truth Social platform, come after the BBC learned that UK aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales has been placed on advanced readiness.
Donald Trump has just posted on his Truth Social messaging platform.
He says "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".
"That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer - But we will remember," Trump says.
"We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!" he adds.
The Ministry of Defence said it was increasing the preparedness of HMS Prince of Wales and reducing the time it would take to set sail, but that no decisions have been taken to deploy the warship.
The Prime Minister has sought to play down the rift, saying the special relationship is 'in operation right now' as the two countries share intelligence and work together on the response.
On Thursday, Sir Keir urged Trump to 'de-escalate' the crisis and negotiate with what is left of Iran's leadership. But the PM admitted that, despite the global crisis, he had not spoken to the US President for almost a week following their spectacular falling-out.
The PM has suggested that the fallout from the conflict could go on for months, with potentially huge impacts on energy bills and the cost of living – and the possibility of a new refugee crisis.
He acknowledged that relatives of the tens of thousands of British citizens trapped in the war zone were 'worried sick' but said a mass evacuation 'is not going to happen overnight'.
US service members' bodies return
President Trump and some senior administration officials - including Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth – arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where the president witnessed the return of the bodies of American service members killed in the US-Israeli war against Iran.
Strikes against Tehran fuel depot
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has confirmed it struck "several fuel storage complexes" in Tehran.
The IDF says it was a "significant strike" against fuel tanks that it claims the Iranian regime makes "direct and frequent use of to operate military infrastructure".