Britain risks losing its status as Washington’s closest partner after Donald Trump questioned whether the UK remained America’s “number one ally” and threatened that Nato itself could be finished if allies failed to act over Iran.

Speaking to reporters, Trump demanded European nations deploy military forces to tackle what he called “bad actors” on Iran’s coastline and help clear the Strait of Hormuz — insisting the burden fell more heavily on Europe and China, which depend far more on Gulf oil than the US does.

“If there’s no response or if it’s a negative response I think it will be very bad for the future of Nato,” he said.

Trump also issued a pointed warning to Ukraine, framing American support as a favour that now required repayment.

“We didn’t have to help them with Ukraine. Ukraine is thousands of miles away from us… But we helped them. Now we’ll see if they help us,” he said.

Britain called out

Despite describing the UK as America’s “longest-serving” ally, Trump made clear to the Finanical Times he felt let down by Sir Keir Starmer‘s government when military cooperation was needed most.

He said that when he “asked for them to come, they didn’t want to come.”

The strain had already been signalled by Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who told GB News the two leaders’ relationship was in trouble.

“The President’s position is that we do plenty for Europe, plenty for the UK in trade, defence and the support we give to Nato,” Witkoff said. “Sometimes the response back, the reciprocity… is a little bit lacking. I would leave it at that.”

Ships arrive too late

HMS Dragon has since been sent to Cyprus, but Trump was unmoved.

“We need these ships before we win, not after we win,” he said.

The President argued the threat had already passed, claiming Iran had been “essentially decimated” and was now capable only of causing minor disruption — repeating last week’s line that the conflict was won, though not “won enough.”

The fighting has continued to claim lives. Six American refuelling crew members killed in a crash in western Iraq were named on Friday. A French soldier died the previous day in an Iranian drone strike. On Sunday, an Italian aircraft was destroyed at a base in Kuwait, while RAF Akrotiri — Britain’s sovereign base — was hit by a drone launched from Lebanon, escaping without serious damage.

Oil markets registered the tension, with Brent crude reaching $104 a barrel on Sunday evening — its highest point since Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.