Donald Trump has claimed King Charles III would have stood by him on the Iran war.
The US president said he “always liked” the King when he was a prince and called him a “great representative” for the UK.
In an interview with The Telegraph, the American leader also said he believes the King would have taken a “very different stand” on the war with Iran, adding that “he doesn’t do that” and “he’s a great gentleman.”
Trump has been critical of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer since the war began. Sir Keir has insisted the UK will not be changing its position on military action in the region despite Trump’s calls for allies to do more.
The US president called the UK’s approach to the war “terrible” and has made personal jibes at his counterpart in Number 10, describing him as “not Winston Churchill”.
And Trump also suggested in a post on his Truth Social media site that countries which “refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran” should “build up some delayed courage, go to the strait and just take it”. Trump was referencing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for the world’s trade over which Iran has a stranglehold.
He did not mention any country except the UK in the post.
He wrote: “All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the US, we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT.
🇬🇧🇺🇸 On advice of His Majesty’s Government, and at the invitation of The President of the United States, The King and Queen will undertake a State Visit to the United States of America. Their Majesties’ programme will celebrate the historic connections and the modern bilateral… pic.twitter.com/DY1CltXzVo
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) March 31, 2026
“You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the USA won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us.
“Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!”
The US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also took a swipe at the Royal Navy for not sending warships to the region, saying “last time I checked there was supposed to be a big, bad Royal Navy that could be prepared to do things like that as well”.
During state visits or public meeting sbetween leaders, Trump has used them to make statements about his own frustrations.
In a meeting with Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Trump repeated his “no Winston Churchill” jibe at Sir Keir.
Mr Martin defended the British PM, saying Starmer “has done a lot to reset the Irish-British relationship. I just want to put that on the record”.
He added: “I do believe that he’s a very earnest, sound person that you have a capacity to get along with. You’ve got along with him before.”
It has sparked fears Trump will deploy similar tactics when the King and Queen arrive in the US for their state visit at the end of April.
It is the first state visit by a British sovereign to America for nearly 20 years, but there had been some suggestion it would be called off due to the ongoing war.
But Buckingham Palace this week confirmed the trip would go ahead, saying it will “celebrate the historic connections and the modern bilateral relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States”.
This announcement came less than an hour after Trump’s post had told the UK to secure the Strait of Hormuz and “go get your own oil”.
Leader of the Liberal Democrats Sir Ed Davey said that the PM showed a “staggering lack of backbone by pushing ahead with this state visit while Donald Trump treats our country with contempt”.
As the statement from the Palace indicated, state visits are undertaken on “the advice of His Majesty’s Government”.
“To send the King on a state visit to the US after Trump dismissed our Royal Navy as toys is a humiliation, and a sign of a government too weak to stand up to bullies,” said Sir Ed. “What appalling thing does Trump have to do next to make the Government see sense and cancel the state visit?”
Trump, well-known for his love of the monarchy, said earlier in March that he was “looking forward” to meeting with the King.
More recently, he said: He’s going to be here very soon, as you know, we’re going have a state dinner. It’s going be great.”
He added: “He’s a friend of mine.”
