Donald Trump has another tantrum at Keir Starmer over Iran war

Donald Trump has launched a fresh attack on Keir Starmer, criticising him for not immediately falling in line with his demand to send warships to the Middle East after his assault on Iran caused global panic

Donald Trump has had yet another dig at Keir Starmer - saying the UK should be "enthusiastically" helping to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The unpredictable 79-year-old said he was "not happy" with the UK and was "very surprised" over its response to the Middle East war. It comes hours after the PM said he would not allow the UK to be dragged into a wider war - and said Britain is working with allies to draw up a credible plan to reopen the strait.

The effective closure of the 104-mile shipping route - which follows the US and Israeli assault on Iran three weeks ago - has sparked global panic. Earlier Mr Starmer said ending the conflict is the key way of tackling the cost of living crisis expected to follow.

Addressing reporters in Washington, the US President criticised the PM for not immediately falling in line with his demands. During a phone call on Sunday, Trump claimed, Mr Starmer said he would take advice before committing warships to secure the strait.

The US commander-in-chief ranted: "The Prime Minister of UK, United Kingdom, yesterday told me, I'm meeting with my team to make a determination. I said you don't need to meet with your team, you're the Prime Minister, you can make your own, why do you have to meet with your team to find out whether or not you're going to send some minesweepers to help us or to send some boats.

"I said you don't have to meet with your team, it's the same thing here." Mr Trump then claimed oil prices would fall "very, very rapidly".

The US President went on to allege he had asked the UK to send ships to the Middle East weeks ago - but claimed Mr Starmer "really didn't want to do it". Asked about countries helping with the Strait of Hormuz, he said: "I was very surprised with the United Kingdom, because United Kingdom two weeks ago, I said, why don't you send some ships over? And he really didn't want to do it.

"I said, you don't want to do it? We've been with you. You're our oldest ally, and we spend a lot of money on, you know, Nato and all of these things to protect you.

"We're protecting them. We're working with them on Ukraine. Ukraine's thousands of miles away, separated by a vast ocean. We don't have to do that, but we did it. Well, Biden did it. I mean, I have to be honest with you, Biden got taken to the cleaners, but we worked with them in Ukraine.

"We don't need to work with them in Ukraine, and then they tell us that we have a mine ship around and they don't want to do it." Speaking at a Downing Street press conference, Mr Starmer said the UK is working with allies to draw up a viable plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

He has so far refused to commit warships to protect the vital shipping route, as demanded by Trump - saying international consensus is needed.

Mr Starmer said: "While taking the necessary action to defend ourselves and our allies, we will not be drawn into the wider war." And he added: "I want to see an end to this war as quickly as possible, because the longer it goes on, the more dangerous the situation becomes, and the worse it is for the cost of living back here at home."

He went on: "We're working with all of our allies, including our European partners, to bring together a viable collective plan that can restore freedom of navigation in the region as quickly as possible and ease the economic impacts."