Starmer refused to allow the US to use a joint British-US base on Diego Garcia to hit Iran on Saturday. The base, in the Indian Ocean, has become a sticking point in relations between the White House and Downing Street.
But the Prime Minister made an about-turn the next day by approving its use, as well as RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, for “defensive” purposes.
In an exclusive interview with The Telegraph on Monday, Trump said Starmer had taken too long to make the decision.
“That’s probably never happened between our countries before,” he said. “It sounds like he was worried about the legality.”
On Thursday, the US President repeated his attack that Starmer was no Winston Churchill, after saying the special relationship was no longer what it used to be.
“He sometimes doesn’t do things that he should be doing,” Trump said.
The Prime Minister has defended his decision not to join the strikes, saying Britain does not support “regime change from the skies”.
“While the region has been plunged into chaos, my focus has been on providing calm, level-headed leadership in the national interest,” Starmer said.
“It means having the strength to stand firm by our values and by our principles, no matter the pressure to do otherwise.”
On Thursday, the Prime Minister announced Britain would send four additional fighter jets to Qatar and deploy helicopters with anti-drone capabilities to Cyprus to bolster regional defences.
“Our No 1 priority is protecting our people,” he said.
Up to 49% of Britons oppose the US strikes on Iran, compared with 28% who support them, according to a YouGov poll.
The poll also found 32% support the US using RAF bases to launch attacks if the targets are limited to missile sites, while 50% oppose the move.
Opposition politicians have accused Starmer of weakening Britain’s “special relationship” with Washington.
On Wednesday, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch told the House of Commons the Prime Minister should have declared support for the US-Israeli offensive.
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