Starmer speaks with Trump after president criticises lack of UK support for Iran strikes

Leaders discuss military cooperation day after US president hit out at PM over lack of immediate backing for attacks

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Keir Starmer sought to repair fraught relations with Donald Trump over the war in Iran on Sunday, as a Labour backlash gathered pace over Tony Blair’s assertion that the UK should have supported the US’s initial airstrikes on Iran.

The prime minister spoke to the US president on Sunday afternoon following a barrage of criticism from Trump, who told his UK ally on Saturday that his help was not needed, even as the US continued to use UK bases for strikes against Iran.