Trump Criticises PM Starmer for Delayed Approval of Diego Garcia Base Use for Iran Attack
A brutal and deadly joint Israeli-American military attack on Iran on Saturday, 28 February, shook the world.
US President Donald Trump stated that it took “too long” for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to change his position after initially refusing to permit the use of the British-American Diego Garcia base to target Iran. Starmer announced on Sunday evening that US forces would be allowed to operate from British bases against Iran, but only in a limited role targeting missile locations. Trump highlighted concerns surrounding Diego Garcia, located in the Chagos Islands, in an interview with the Daily Telegraph.
“Such things may never have happened before between our nations,” he said, adding: “It seems he was worried about its legality.”
The joint US-Israeli military attack on Iran occurred on 28 February 2026, coinciding with ongoing negotiations between Tehran and Washington. The attack killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior Iranian officials. In response, Iran targeted strategic locations in Israel, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, where US bases are located.
The Iranian Red Crescent reported at least 201 people killed and 747 others injured in the strikes.
Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was reported killed in the attack on Tehran, though Iranian media had not officially confirmed this. Iran’s UN representative asserted that the US bears full responsibility for the military aggression, with all enemy bases in the region becoming legitimate targets for defensive responses.
Millions of Iranian citizens took to the streets in Tehran, Qom, and Mashhad to condemn the US-Israeli attack that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. President Pezeshkian called the attack an open declaration of war, whilst Trump expressed readiness to dialogue with remaining Iranian leadership.
China issued a strong condemnation of the US and Israeli attack. The Diego Garcia military base, jointly owned by Britain and the US, is located in the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, approximately 2,000 kilometres south of Sumatra.
Trump also heavily criticised Starmer’s impending decision to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, calling the agreement a “major mistake” and describing the handover as a “foolish act”. Britain defended the deal, valued at approximately 72 trillion rupiah, as necessary for maintaining the military base.