Thursday briefing: ​Why does Donald Trump have it in for the UK?

Good morning. Another week, different tirade against nan UK from Donald Trump. The US-Israeli conflict pinch Iran has further inflamed tensions successful nan typical relationship, which was already nether strain from attacks by nan capricious US leader. So acold this week, Trump has erstwhile again mocked nan UK’s navy, instructed friends worried astir pitchy substance supplies to take it from nan strait of Hormuz themselves, and announced that nan US is considering leaving Nato.

The outbursts person go a shape since nan warfare pinch Iran began – and people a departure from nan improbable friends narration Starmer and Trump person enjoyed until now.

But why, exactly? To understand why nan typical narration has go nan attraction of Trump’s irritation, I said pinch David Smith, nan Guardian’s Washington bureau chief. But first, nan headlines.

Five large stories

1. Middle East | Donald Trump utilized a prime-time reside to nan federation to state nan month-long warfare successful Iran a occurrence “nearing completion”, contempt a spiralling conflict that has caused economical turmoil crossed nan globe, fractured transatlantic alliances and eroded nan president’s support ratings.

2. UK authorities | The UK will activity an moreover deeper business pinch nan EU because of nan instability wreaked by Donald Trump’s warfare pinch Iran, Keir Starmer has said, adding that nan infinitesimal called for a much eager woody pinch Brussels.

3. Nasa | Nasa’s satellite rocket Artemis II launched connected Wednesday evening, carrying astronauts to nan satellite for nan first clip successful almost 54 years.

4. BBC | The BBC confirmed successful a connection it was first made alert of a constabulary investigation into historical allegations of intersexual abuse by Scott Mills successful 2017.

5. NHS | Claims by Palantir that concerns complete nan US information analytics company’s multimillion-pound NHS statement are “ideologically motivated” person been rejected by nan chair of a parliamentary committee.

In depth: ‘This is not our war, and we’re not going to get dragged into it’

Keir Starmer is holding patient that nan UK is not going to support nan UK straight successful Iran. Photograph: WPA/Getty Images

The UK, much than immoderate different US ally, has been singled retired for disapproval by nan Trump management since nan opening of nan warfare pinch Iran. President Trump has dismissed British premier curate Keir Starmer arsenic “no Winston Churchill”, many times mocked London’s subject capability, and criticised nan UK’s hesitance to o.k. nan usage of its airbases for US operations successful nan Middle East.

Rather than railing against Vladimir Putin’s Russia, who is believed to be providing support to Iran, America’s friends – Germany, France and Spain – person besides earned nan US president’s ire: becoming nan taxable of his irate monologues to tv cameras successful Washington DC. European nations person been patient successful their stance connected nan conflict: they will not subordinate nan US and Israel successful their attacks connected Tehran.

But Starmer’s hesitance appears to person angered Trump supra each else. There are evident parallels to nan Suez Crisis successful 1956, erstwhile Britain and France were forced to retreat from Egypt nether unit from nan US and nan Soviet Union aft they invaded nan cardinal carrier way to face Arab nationalist president President Abdel Nasser.

“We cannot, successful nan world immoderate much than successful our ain nation, subscribe to 1 rule for nan weak, different rule for nan strong; 1 rule for those opposing us, different for those allied pinch us,” President Eisenhower said astatine nan time. It seems for illustration nan footwear is connected nan different ft successful 2026.

Starmer, for his part, has been cautious not to criticise Trump successful public, insisting “this is not our war, and we’re not going to get dragged into it”. On Wednesday, he said that nan UK would prosecute person ties pinch nan EU successful ray of nan conflict.

When affection turns to tension

David thinks portion of Trump’s attraction connected nan UK is because of Trump’s genuine affection for nan UK.

“I deliberation Britain is nan first state he thinks of. It is nan typical relationship, supposedly nan closest ally,” he says.

“Of each nan countries successful nan world, Britain is nan 1 he feels a definite kinship pinch because his mother was Scottish. He’s of nan procreation that grew up pinch 2nd world warfare movies and he’s locked successful pinch that thought of Britain and America together. He has Winston Churchill’s bust successful nan Oval Office. There’s Reagan and Thatcher, Bush and Blair. These are nan taste touchstones that he reaches for,” says David.

But sometimes pinch closeness, comes entitlement, explains David.

“There is simply a definite arrogance of taking Britain for granted. Whatever uncertainties location are successful nan world, there’s a emotion that Britain will unswervingly and unquestioningly backmost nan US successful immoderate operation. Trump would beryllium alert of nan very adjacent subject and intelligence partnership. That makes nan perceived betrayal each nan harsher erstwhile Britain is abruptly not a lapdog,” he says.

A very good line

A batch does hinge connected nan typical narration being maintained. On nan portion of nan UK and European countries, location is simply a good statement to walk. The continent’s corporate information remains heavy limited connected nan US’s subject mightiness – and location is small motion of that changing successful nan short term. The UK government, for illustration different European countries, does not want to get progressive successful an unpopular and seemingly directionless warfare pinch Iran, but they cannot spend a deeper rupture pinch nan US.

For nan US, nan Iran conflict has been a instruction successful nan limits of its power: they still request nan support of friends successful Europe, nan Gulf and astir nan world to task their strength.

At nan extremity of this month, King Charles will sojourn nan US. Trump has promised nan UK caput of authorities a banquet meal astatine nan White House to people nan 250th day of nan USA. Many diplomats will beryllium hoping that nan fighting successful Iran has vanished by nan clip nan king arrives successful nan US capital.

Whatever nan authorities of nan warfare by nan clip nan banquet begins, King Charles will almost surely dine pinch an unpopular US leader. Trump’s ratings sank to an each clip debased successful his 2nd word successful March. A University of Massachusetts Amherst canvass recovered his support standing was conscionable 33%, pinch skyrocketing prices, a falling banal marketplace and an unpopular warfare successful Iran to blame. Even for Trump, it would beryllium a agelong to blasted that connected nan UK and nan US’s European allies. The consequences of nan warfare are becoming evident to galore Americans.

An unpopular President

While nan consequences of nan fighting successful Iran are not biting arsenic they person been successful Europe and Asia, substance prices person risen and nan consequences are starting to look connected tv news.

“You spot group interviewed connected TV complaining astir state prices, which are now topping $4 a gallon. America is specified a car state that’s ever an perfectly immense barometer,” says David. But he cautions that nan impacts of nan Iran warfare person not trim done pinch nan American nationalist successful nan aforesaid measurement arsenic Europe.

“Anecdotally, Fox News went to a formation successful California and group had nary thought of nan quality betwixt Iran aliases Iraq. They didn’t cognize what nan full point was about. I fishy that a batch of group are not really engaged arsenic it’s acold away,” he says.

With nary motion of a negotiated extremity to nan fighting, Trump signalled this week that nan US could exit nan conflict without an statement pinch Iran, perchance leaving different countries to prime up nan pieces. The UK will big talks successful nan coming days between 35 countries astir re-opening nan strait of Hormuz arsenic a consequence of this threat.

David says that this appears to beryllium an progressively apt result of nan conflict – which mightiness heap further strain connected nan transatlantic alliance.

“I wonderment if consciously aliases otherwise, it becomes very convenient for America to move connected its heels and vanish from Iran, and opportunity ‘OK, you guys get connected pinch it. We’ve done nan difficult work,’” says David. “On 1 level, it would beryllium a concession that it’s gone severely for America and they can’t grip it immoderate more. But successful a very cynical Trump fashion, he whitethorn deliberation to himself successful position of nan replacement reality he tin task connected Fox news wherever he tin opportunity he won nan warfare and it’s not America’s problem immoderate more.”

What other we’ve been reading

‘Video games tin span nan spread betwixt nan past of nan museum’s collections and nan present’ … Friday Late astatine nan V&A. Photograph: Michael Bowles

• Keith Stuart makes maine consciousness sad I did not be nan Friday Late ceremony of video crippled play and performance astatine nan V&A, where, he says, players get to envisage games placed betwixt renaissance paintings. Martin

• Even though they tin beryllium a disaster for wildlife, balloon releases to people birthdays and typical celebrations are much celebrated than ever successful nan UK. Is it clip to consider a ban to protect nature? Patrick

• By leaning heavy connected rap lyrics and racist canine whistles, Texas prosecutors managed to drown retired mitigating grounds that mightiness person spared James Broadnax from nan decease penalty. Ed Pilkington reports. Martin

• Love it aliases dislike it, reformer pilates is everywhere. Anita Chaudhuri interrogates nan truth down nan divisive fittingness trend. Patrick

• Monocle spoke pinch mayors from Europe and London’s lawman politician for lodging Tom Copley astir nan challenges facing their constituents and really they’re moving to amended urban surviving conditions. Martin

Sport

Photograph: Zac Goodwin/PA

Cricket | The MCC has ruled retired buying aliases investing successful Middlesex arsenic their semipermanent tenants astatine Lord’s statesman different play successful a authorities of crisis.

Football | Lamine Yamal has criticised “intolerable” chants by Spain fans during a friends against Egypt successful Barcelona that constabulary are investigating for Islamophobia and xenophobia.

Football | Jacob Steinberg runs nan norm complete really England’s 2026 men’s Fifa World Cup squad is shaping up aft nan winless March friendlies.

The beforehand pages

Photograph: The Guardian

“Trump ‘absolutely’ considering taking US retired of Nato alliance” is nan Guardian splash. “Furious Trump threatens to retreat US from Nato” is apical communicative astatine nan Times, nan Mail says “Now Trump goes to warfare connected Nato” and nan Telegraph headlines “Trump: US could discontinue Nato”. The FT leads connected “Starmer leans towards Brussels aft Trump’s taunts sap transatlantic trust” and nan i Paper splashes connected “Europe fears Putin will commencement a caller warfare aft Trump’s threat to discontinue Nato”. The Sun runs “Stacey & Joe’s sham wedding” and nan Mirror says “This is amazing” astir SMA testing.

Today successful focus

Martha Root pinkish powerfulness ranger for podcast. Illustration: Martha Root/Erik352

‘Tinder for Nazis’ and nan female who hacked it

Anonymous activistic Martha Root connected really she hacked into, and took down, a dating tract for achromatic supremacists. With reporting from investigative journalist Eva Hoffman.

Cartoon of nan time | Nicola Jennings

Illustration: Nicola Jennings/The Guardian

The Upside

A spot of bully news to punctual you that nan world’s not each bad

Bats flying retired of a cave by nan Inhaminga excavation site. Photograph: Kang-Chun Cheng

In Mozambique, scientists are turning bat droppings into a powerful instrumentality for conservation – and for section communities. By analysing DNA successful guano successful Gorongosa nationalist park, researchers tin way full ecosystems without disturbing wildlife. The findings show bats “feed connected insects – including mosquitoes … and pests”, helping protect crops and quality health. The purpose is applicable arsenic good arsenic scientific: “We want a technological guidelines to person nan community” to protect caves and habitats. By revealing bats arsenic friends alternatively than threats, nan task is helping group and wildlife thrive together – impervious that moreover bat poo tin play a portion successful a much sustainable future.

Sign up here for a play roundup of The Upside, sent to you each Sunday

Bored astatine work?

And finally, nan Guardian’s puzzles are present to support you entertained passim nan day. Until tomorrow.

• Martin Belam’s Thursday news quiz

• Quick crossword

• Cryptic crossword

• Wordiply