Donald Trump says UK aircraft carriers not needed in US-Israel war with Iran | BBC News

So, President Trump has again poured scorn on Saki Stalmer's position in the USIsraeli war against Iran, accusing him of seeking to join wars that had already been won. He said in comments posted on Truth Social. President Trump appeared to mock the British government for not joining the offensive operations against Iran, calling the UK our once great ally. He also said that the United States didn't need Britain's aircraft carriers. Those comments came after the BBC learned that the UK aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales has been put on advanced readiness to go to the Middle East. Meanwhile, American bombers continue to use air bases in the United Kingdom. Uh let's talk to Nick Johnson who's our correspondent at RAF Fairford, uh which is where some of those bombers have been coming in. And this is against a difficult diplomatic backdrop, Nick, uh, of that spat between President Trump and Kama. President Trump, as I say, mocking the British position. >> Yeah, you're right. Uh, a difficult backdrop politically and also RAF Fairford here where these bombers have been landing. Uh this is as a result of that agreement that uh uh Kama uh decided upon whereby uh US bombers uh can use this base in the Iran conflict but uh for defensive purposes only. So uh one would imagine then that these bombers arriving here would be sent to to strike those uh Iranian missile sites. But there are more and more bombers due to arrive here. Um it it is difficult um to to sort of understand how the the activities of those bombers are going to be monitored by the UK government um in terms of ensuring that they're carrying out defensive missions only. Uh we heard from the the Ministry of Defense a short time ago who said they won't comment on those operational conversations that they have with the United States. But yes, these bombers that have been arriving here increasing, I'd say in the last sort of 12 hours or so uh are being used, the agreement is with the British government for defensive purposes only. >> What sort of bombers have been arriving? What sort of aircraft are we talking about, Nick? >> Well, you can see those two aircraft just to my right. Those are B1 bombers. Uh they're supersonic jets. They fly up to 950 mph. That's about twice the speed of a commercial airliner, but they also are heavily loaded with uh with bombs and missiles. Uh we saw a number of those arrive yesterday. Uh three more were actually due to arrive a little earlier this morning, but I don't know if you can tell it is really foggy here today. The visibility is poor. It's improved a little bit uh in the last hour or so, but it's meant that those three B1s which were due to arrive here uh today have been diverted to uh an air base in Germany. It's thought if that the uh visibility improves later, they might uh return here to RAF Fairford. But alongside uh those bombers, we've also had a number of uh transporter aircrafts. Um they almost look like some of them uh stubby uh jumbo jets. We had actually a 747, a jumbo jet uh transporter aircraft uh arrived this morning. Now they are carrying um munitions and spare parts uh for the bombers and they come from the same air bases as where these uh bombers are stationed. There is actually a a transporter. I'm just glancing down at my phone, Ben, because I'm watching it now. Uh it is um I'd say a few miles away from where we are now. That bomber has arrived from the east coast but via Minot Air Force Base in uh in North Dakota. And that transporter is at the same base in North Dakota as B-52 bombers. Uh we're yet to see them here as part of this latest conflict. B-52 is also known as a Strato Fortress. They are those huge uh multi-engine bombers. And the fact that uh a transporter coming from that base which suggests it would carry uh spares and munitions for that aircraft suggests we might see those in the coming days as well. >> And I suppose at question here Nick is the US special relationship the US UK special relationship and and where you are fair is a sort of embodiment of that special relationship or has been down the years down the decades since the second world war in fact. >> Yeah that's right. RAF Fairford by name, but it's uh it's used almost exclusively by uh the United States Air Force. You're right. It's it's been that way uh since the end of the Second World War. And it's it's an interesting place actually. It's sort of like a little slice of America in in Glostershare. Just beyond the perimeter fence, uh there are American vehicles, Chevy trucks, American school buses uh traversing uh the apron here, uh transporting things from the aircraft back towards the uh the buildings. uh all those uh vehicles have US government plates. US uh troops are stationed here. So yeah, you're right. It is symbolic of that uh of that special relationship. Uh and those uh aircraft here uh will continue to arrive and and and Fairfoot itself. The reason they come to this uh American base rather than some of the others is because uh this has one of the longest runways in England coming in at just under uh 2 mi in length. So it's also reinforced underneath as well. So that means it really can handle uh the largest and the heaviest bombers coming over from the states. >> All right, Nick, thank you very much indeed. Nick Johnson there reporting.

US President Donald Trump has told the UK he does not need its aircraft carriers and accused Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of seeking to "join wars after we've already won", as the US and Israel continue to launch strikes on Iran. In a social media post, Trump said the UK was "giving serious thought" to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East, before saying the US does not "need them". Downing Street has not responded. One of the UK's two aircraft carriers has been placed on advanced readiness, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said. Trump's comments come after US bomber jets were seen landing in the UK as the US started using British bases for "specific defensive operations". Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1rbfUog For more news, analysis and features visit: www.bbc.com/news #Trump #Iran #BBCNews