Recap: Trump lashes out at Starmer over British involvement in Iran
“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,” Trump wrote on Saturday evening.
“That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer — But we will remember. We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!”
The president has publicly attacked Sir Keir since Britain hesitated to the US to use its airbases for ‘defensive’ purposes during the war with Iran.
The Ministry of Defence told The Independent that only HMS Prince of Wales has been moved to an advanced state of readiness, reducing the time it would take to set sail for any deployment.
James Reynolds8 March 2026 00:15
Centcom denies rumours US personnel have been captured by Iran
US Central Command has denied that any US service members have been taken hostage or captured by Iran.
In a post on X, Iranian security chief Ali Larijani said: “It has been reported to me that several American soldiers have been taken prisoner.”
US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for Centcom, said: “The Iranian regime is doing everything it can to peddle lies and deceive. This is yet another clear example.”
James Reynolds8 March 2026 00:07
Israel claims strikes on IRGC infrastructure in Tehran
Israel claimed strikes on IRGC fuel storage complexes in Tehran overnight.
The IDF wrote on social media that the air force struck sites “where the Iranian terrorist regime would distribute fuel to multiple military entities in Iran”.
“The strike significantly deepens the damage to the military infrastructure of the Iranian terrorist regime,” it said.
Israel claimed strikes on IRGC facilities in Tehran (IDF)
James Reynolds8 March 2026 00:01
“At some point, I don’t think there will be anybody left maybe to say ‘We surrender,'” says Trump
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he is not interested in negotiating with Iran at this point.
He added the air campaign could make it a moot point if all potential leaders of Iran are killed and the Iranian military is destroyed.
“At some point, I don’t think there will be anybody left maybe to say ‘We surrender,'” Trump said.
James Reynolds7 March 2026 23:45
Tony Blair ‘says Starmer should have backed Trump’
Tony Blair backed the US in the row over American access to British airbases, arguing: “We should have backed America from the very beginning.”
The former prime minister, who led Britain into the wars in Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003 alongside the Americans, said at a private event on Friday: “If they are your ally and they are an indispensable cornerstone for your security… you better show up.”
He indicated he had relayed his concerns to the government.
The comments, reported by the Telegraph, came amid a growing spat with Donald Trump, after Sir Keir’s government hesitated to give Washington initial access to British airbases to strike Iran.
US President Donald Trump and former prime minister Tony Blair (file) (PA Wire)
James Reynolds7 March 2026 23:32
Bombing of girls’ school in Iran that killed more than 150 was probably US air strike, military investigators believe
Neither US nor Israeli officials have publicly taken responsibility for the strike, which killed 150 students, according to Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva. The total death toll, which has reportedly exceeded 175 people, has not been independently confirmed.
James Reynolds7 March 2026 23:30
Recap: White House says ‘it does not matter’ if Russia helping Iran to attack US bases
The White House on Friday addressed reports that Russia may have supplied Iran with information on the location of US military facilities, including ships and aircraft, in the Middle East since the explosion of hostilities last Saturday.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed concerns about the report in an interview with Fox News, saying the administration does not comment on ‘intelligence reports leaked to the press’.
She added: “Whether or not this happened, frankly, it does not really matter, because President Trump and the United States military are absolutely decimating the rogue Iranian terrorist regime.”
A US official told the Washington Post that Moscow may see the move as retaliation for US support to Ukraine since 2022.
James Reynolds7 March 2026 23:00
HMS Prince of Wales prepared for ‘any deployment’, reaffirms MOD
Britain’s ministry of defence said that the HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier is being prepared for any future deployment, after Donald Trump claimed two carriers were being readied to be sent to the Middle East.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson told The Independent that HMS Prince of Wales is being placed on a state of “increased preparedness”, reducing the time it would take to set sail if called upon by several days.
“We have been bolstering our UK military presence in the Middle East since January, and we have already deployed capabilities to protect British people and our allies in the region, including Typhoons, F-35 jets, air defence systems and an extra 400 personnel into Cyprus.
“Since the strikes began, we’ve had British jets in the sky shooting down drones and have sent additional assets to the region to further reinforce our air defences, including more Typhoons and Wildcat helicopters with drone-busting missiles.
“HMS Prince of Wales has always been on very high readiness and we are increasing the preparedness of the carrier, reducing the time it would take to set sail for any deployment.”
It is understood that Britain’s other aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, has not been readied in the same way.
Royal Navy aircraft carrier and fleet flagship, HMS Prince of Wales (file) (MOD/Crown copyright)
James Reynolds7 March 2026 22:59
Trump refuses to rule out deploying ground forces in Iran
Donald Trump refused to rule out sending ground troops into Iran on Saturday as the conflict in the Middle East continued to escalate.
He told reporters on Air Force One that sending in troops to secure Iran’s nuclear facilities was something “we could do later on”, while suggesting it was not currently needed.
“It would be a great thing, but right now we’re just decimating them. We haven’t gone after it, but it’s something we could do later on,” he said.
“We wouldn’t do it now, maybe we’d do it later on,” he added.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend a casualty return for the soldiers who were killed in a drone strike at a command center in Kuwait (AP)
James Reynolds7 March 2026 22:42
Head of British military ‘completely rejects’ criticism of UK response to Iran war
The head of the British military has said he “completely rejects” criticism of the UK’s response to the war between the US, Israel and Iran.
Speaking to the BBC, Chief of Defence Staff Sir Richard Knighton said the growing Middle East conflict was “probably the most dangerous time of the last 30 years”. He said that the UK had been “bolstering our presence” in the region for several weeks and added that HMS Dragon would leave Portsmouth “in the next few days, as soon as it’s got ammunition on board”.
Sir Richard told the broadcaster that the drone that had targeted the RAF base in Cyprus was assessed to have launched from Lebanon by an Iranian-aligned group.
James Reynolds7 March 2026 22:30