Trump Rebuffs UK's Iran War Offer
A rift is widening between the U.S. and UK over the war in Iran, with President Trump publicly rebuffing Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s offer of military support. Trump accused the UK of trying to “join wars after we’ve already won,” signaling deep friction in the transatlantic alliance as the remains of six U.S. service members killed in the conflict were returned to American soil.
The conflict's immediate shock to energy markets has been severe, with the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz putting roughly 20% of the world's daily oil supply at risk. Brent crude prices surged past $92 per barrel, a 28% increase in the week following the initial strikes, with analysts at Goldman Sachs warning prices could breach $100 to $150 a barrel if the disruption continues. Disruptions extend far beyond energy, paralyzing global supply chains. The closure of major airports, including Dubai's, has idled nearly one-fifth of global airfreight capacity, while shipping container traffic to key Persian Gulf ports has been embargoed by major carriers. The cost of air freight from Asia to Europe has jumped 45% as companies scramble for alternative routes. This economic fallout is hitting a UK economy already forecasting slowed momentum. The Office for Budget Responsibility has downgraded the UK's 2026 GDP growth forecast to 1.1%, explicitly warning that the conflict could have "very significant impacts" on the domestic economy. Inflation, which was expected to return to its 2% target, now faces new pressure from rising energy and shipping costs. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's offer of support followed an earlier refusal to join the initial US-Israeli strikes. After Iran launched retaliatory missile attacks across the region, Starmer permitted the US to use UK bases for what he termed the "specific and limited defensive purpose" of destroying missile sites at their source, citing a duty to protect 200,000 UK citizens in the area. President Trump's rejection of a broader UK military role aligns with his "America First" foreign policy, which has often involved publicly pressuring and questioning the value of traditional alliances. His administration has prioritized what it calls "Agreements on Reciprocal Trade" (ARTs) and is leveraging a mandatory 2026 review of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to seek further concessions. The military conflict is layered on top of a long-standing economic one. The U.S. has maintained extensive sanctions against Iran for years, targeting its oil, gas, petrochemical, and financial sectors. In February 2026, just prior to the strikes, Washington escalated this pressure by sanctioning dozens of individuals and companies connected with Iran'
