US President Donald Trump has warned that the United States “won’t be there to help” the United Kingdom, in unusually direct remarks made as American forces continue a major air campaign against Iran from bases in England.

In a post on social media, Trump criticised the UK for not joining US operations, writing:

“All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved… go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT.” He added: “You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore.”

The comments come as the United States significantly expands its long-range strike presence in the UK under Operation Epic Fury, with RAF Fairford now hosting a substantial concentration of American heavy bombers supporting operations against Iranian targets.

At least 23 US bombers are now forward deployed in England, including eight B-52H Stratofortress aircraft and a larger contingent of B-1B Lancers, according to open-source tracking and analysis by UK Defence Journal Senior Editor Jon. The most recent arrivals, operating as callsigns “BAZOO51” and “BAZOO52”, landed at Fairford in recent days, adding to what appears to be a deliberate build-up of strike capacity.

Huge build up of American bombers in England

Operation Epic Fury, led by U.S. Central Command, is focused on degrading Iranian military capabilities, including missile infrastructure, with long-range bombers forming a central element of sustained conventional strike operations. RAF Fairford’s ability to host all major US strategic bomber types has made it a key hub, allowing aircraft to launch missions into the Middle East more efficiently and maintain a high tempo of sorties.

The scale of the deployment underlines the continued integration of UK basing into US global strike operations, even as the President’s remarks introduce a markedly more transactional tone towards allies.

There has been no immediate response from the UK Government, and there is no indication of a formal change to US defence policy, but the remarks were delivered as US forces continue to operate at scale from British soil.

George Allison
George Allison
George Allison is the founder and editor of the UK Defence Journal. He holds a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and specialises in naval and cyber security topics. George has appeared on national radio and television to provide commentary on defence and security issues. Twitter: @geoallison
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79 COMMENTS

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  2. take what ? i thought the war was over, Trump already declared victory 12 times in the last two weeks ! surely the strait is open right?

    • Trump hasn’t quiet yet realised that him saying so doesn’t make it reality. He badly wants out of this war and keeps hanging options out to Iran to give him the win but they keep shoving them back in his face.

  3. Does President Trump actually exist? If you had to invent a personality to get the most social media clicks possible, he would be hard to beat. Leaves me wondering if he’s really Elon Musk’s AI slop.

  4. This was an obvious conclusion after the UK and now Europe, have pretty much jacked on the US in its attack on Iran. Whether you support the attack or not (I supported the efforts at reducing the Iranian nuclear capability previously but a little unsure about this epic mission creep) Europe and the UK still rely on the US for its kit and defence needs, for at least the next few years till we can get a grip of our own capabilities. Orange man will never forget the way he perceives he and the US have been treated and is erratic enough to risk NATO in an effort at retribution, both political and militarily, for this deemed offense. Stand by for more chaos due to the losers who are currently in power on both sides of the pond.

      • Exactly, he made in into a transaction. Europe was fine to buy US arms at a cost, but support was provided by the US itself.

        Putting aside the conflict is outside the scope of NATO, trump sees it as a extension of US power and control. Which it has been for decades but things like stitching up NATO allies over Afghan exit etc have made the other counties realise it wasn’t a two way deal and so don’t see the need to ask how high when he says jump.

      • Almost certainly true he would see it as damaging economic and military rivals while he made billions out of it. Making America Great will rely on substantially taking others down to help any America move up. Beating up foreigners is indeed how his supporters see making it great, thus we see his new wars.

        • And one of the beat downs was Europe. America could never willingly see Europe emerging as its own geopolitical pole. The difference between MAGA US and the previous US administrations was that there had been an essential agreement that Europe would not challenge the US led hegemony the US would support its defence.. MAGA have destroyed that it wants MAGA hegemony yet at the same time refusing to acknowledge the investment that requires..

    • World leaders should start standing up to the narcissist megalomaniac bully and this is a good moment to do it. He shows no respect for others, and could not care less about allies. It has been proven again and again that with him, those who show strength have some probabilities of seeing him backing off, while those who show weakness have certainty of being crashed.

      • However “world leaders” are also very much like Trump, selfish, power crazy and in politics for themselves! The only difference is Trump is not controlled by any speech writers or parliamentary type secretary!

    • Do you see any potential winners either side of the pond? Maybe Newsome there but here, don’t see one at all and either way the damage caused by Trump will make life almost impossible to navigate for many a year… at least.

    • The b52’s will be bombing Iran missiles and that’s a certainty ? Is Israel providing the coordinates. A levelling of Tehran won’t be good for anyone. We should not allow bombing missions from uk.

    • If UK don’t understand that only US and Israel are stopping the Ayatollah regime of taking over the Gulf and Levant then they (UK+EU) are almost useless.
      That said the US – EU separation was written in the wall.
      Western EU elite pretty much hates US , changes in US population make them overall with much less connection to Europe. It is even tragically funny that EU supports Democratic Party that is embracing neo-Marxism, racialism which in fact makes the break faster.
      Anyway who will respects you when you abstained vote that in practice supports a factually incorrect resolution that makes you the author of the biggest crime…?

  5. So the current US airbases in the UK, which are launching bombing missions on Iran, are expendable for any future American military operations. I’m sure the Pentigon will love that. So goodbye, Mildenhall and Lakenheath, the latter of which just underwent a big infrastructural upgrade for their F-35A fleet. What a waste of US dollars! Could Lakenheath become a second F-35 base for the RAF and eventually Tempest? As for Fairford, an additional heavy transport base, and Mildenhall, a housing estate, as planned before its reprieve a few years ago.

    • If they do close due to his child like antics, it will be the UK and Europe who will be the losers in the near term for sure. But by then the orange man will hopefully be gone and any plan to close/remove will be cancelled by the grown ups in the room mate.

      • Obviously I was being facetious when suggesting the US stations would close en masse. If, however, Trump bullies his way into a third term, that could be another matter. When Milldenhall was earmarked for closure and assets moved to Germany, the drawdown timing was three/four years. With that in mind, let’s say it takes a year to announce withdrawal from the UK, plus four years to move out; then the new occupant of the Oval Office may have a different view on the matter?

    • Never mind airbases.
      Digby.
      Menwith Hill.
      Wyton.
      Bude.
      Cheltenham.
      Welford.
      Croughton.
      Feltwell.
      Molesworth.
      Off you go, lets see how your intell and comms goes in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa with the plug pulled on those.
      Sure, some nation might volunteer to replicate those capabilities.
      Chickens are flying around the roost so much around HMG of the last 30 years who’ve damaged our ability to act independently that they’re blocking out the sun…

        • The Europeans are seeing the light there, they won’t even let Space X launch their new satellites even at a 5th of the cost. I see also they are launching a competitor to Microsoft Office that has been sitting around for a while. Near total self reliance is the aim however long it takes. Where it leaves us I don’t know.

      • You are so, so correct, Daniele. These places and a few others have Americans swanning in and out at a very high tempo at present. Maybe we can line it all with our “Toy” Carriers?

        • You know me, I’ve researched enough to see just how high the levels of co-operation are, and I’m not even providing any detail.
          We’d both be badly damaged if the US walked away.
          And lets not beat about the bush, then.
          Our overseas bases that they use, out!
          Ascension. Out.
          Ayios Nikolios. Out!
          Diego Garcia….quite why we are paying billions to allow an ally to use it who abuses us so….Out!
          The US needed the remnants of the British Empire to help it spread it’s tentacles around the world. It bases assets for their own power projection.
          In retaliation, we’d be screwed if Trident missile sharing and maintenance was stopped and we’d lose our access at Dam Nek.
          It could get seriously ugly.
          I’ve always supported the UK US link up as I know what backup it provides the UK that we lack.
          But being treated like utter shit by this idiot of a president is trying even my patience.

      • You forgotten about Diego Garcia and Ascension…

        TBH the Mango Mussolini will have forgotten this post a couple of hours from now…

      • Those places you mention may be the tip of the iceberg in terms of the depth of intel-gathering facilities we don’t (officially) know about. Since WW2, US/UK’s secret world of monitoring friends and foes must be so entrenched that no delusional president could ever dismantle it at will.

  6. It’s a classic abusive relationship. The UK and Europe (and Japan, Korea etc) are getting royally buggered by the US and getting blamed for it at the same time. I don’t know what the answer is for sure, but it would be wonderful to be able to tell them to f off and take their UK based stuff with them.

    And whilst fantasising, I wish Europe could become at least militarily independent of the US. Having said that, I guess we more or less are that already. Self sufficient is probably the better term.

    • Europe will just have to rely on the 1.8 million soldiers, 6000 main battle tanks, 1800 combat jest, 60 Submarines and 190 surface combatants it operates to defend itself 😀

      All linked by the best logistics system anywhere on planet earth. I’m sure satellites will be a slight issue but somehow I’m guessing the 55 military satellites European NATO members have will get us buy.

      • Is there a combined, coherent and resilient “European” defence structure?
        Unless Germany and Italy are joining the nuclear club, it depends on the French or UK Govt willingness to play nuclear brinkmanship with Putin.
        We are a 3rd country outside the EU, our interests don’t align necessarily eg on EU expansion.

        • JEF would be the only current pan European structure outside of NATO. The JEF countries would be the countries required to provide the initial response to a Russian incursion anway. The rest of European forces would be required to provide reinforcements but nothing very quickly. Russia has a small airforce and limited ability to deploy a mechanised army.

          A Pan European Defence structure is not a necessity.

          • Russia may decide a bite and hold in the Baltics is all that is required. Plus an attack on fibre optic cables and oil importation and storage routes.
            If it took 10% of Baltic territory and China/ others supplied enough drones to exhaust Euro GBAD stocks , then would collective Europe have the will to sacrifice the troops to get that territory back? If not the whole EU project risks falling and that leaves the question, would a UK Govt commit British lives to recover parts of Estonia ( if say Spain refused) and would the electorate fight or accept conscription?
            I doubt it.
            Not to mention the lack of SEAD, which is what Ukraine lacks, hence static lines and drone-jam.
            Bearing in mind Ru bombers could hit UK at will with cruise and Ballistic missiles at present.

            • I laughed….anyone with rudimentary radar knowledge could build a radar to detect the Russian bombers as they took off.

              The Russian bomber force wouldn’t last a day against eNATO’s F35/Typhoon/F15/16/Rafael/etc fleet

              • How many Cruise missiles or Kinzhal pre emptively launched would it take to do significant damage to the UK?
                Without US P-B and SSN assistance can we be sure that a Russian sub couldn’t launch missiles in sink with drones launched from a Russian “oil tanker” to hit that nice line of P8 and E7 at an airbase without meaningful GBAD?
                Take away US assistance and that job gets harder. Things such as cyber hack resistance, covert cable chopping and a few “accidents ” could complicate matters

    • The mid terms will be interesting. I had help thinking the nutters will still come out on mass and see republicans win more seats than is expected. Equally trump ignores Congress and so isn’t it actually going to matter.

        • Why? His been doing so upto now. Decisions have been made by the white house without first refering to Congress.

          • The only power Congress really has is over the budget, and that is a difficulty topic as if the democrats are too difficult they will never get voted in again, they have to play it carefully and focus on purely on popular parts of the bill and hope the media reports it.

            • At $1 billion a day cost the Trump administration can’t fight a war for very long with no funding from Congress and a war powers bill requires 60 votes in the senate to pass.

              Are you going to find 10 democrats to vote for his war? That’s what it will take.

          • That’s only because his lapdog speaker in the House doesn’t allow the votes to stop it, once he is gone Congress will be supported even by a right leaning Supreme Court in its demands and yes it will take time but Trump will be sorely limited in his executive orders and the armed forces will be very reluctant to be sent to war if the House overtly votes against it. Indeed it would be against the Constitution. Equally we will likely see some Republicans show some backbone when his power over them
            Is greatly reduced. They are still too scared as things stand and worried that he will effectively take personal tyrannical power, the mid terms, if allowed will greatly reduce any such opportunity and the worms will turn if they hope for future success. But thankfully even the lead right wing Supreme Court judge has started to warn Trump about how behaviour and decking support even in MAGA is going to make a grasp for total
            Power the biggest risk of his life and little chance of success… at least I hope.

  8. I know it’s a diplomatic nightmare, but would the lib Dems or another marginal party tell him to f off on behalf of the country, pretty please.

    • Well the Lib Dem’s are though easier when. It in power I guess. Getting interviews in the US even now amongst the more sane media outlets anyway.

  9. Best course for us is the one we are following now. Ignore the late night Truth Social ranting and deploy assets to the Strait only if it is in the British national interest. No point in engaging with the slanging match or jumping to any kneejerk reactions. Unfortunately we don’t have many cards to play as we’ve given so much away since the end of Empire. Best to weather the storm with like minded allies and at least come out of this with the moral high ground.

    • I tend to agree, the World and most of America is seeing he is just a fuming weak man with big hand me down toys throwing them out of every basket he can find and this decision is only strengthened by watching MAFS Australia. 😝

  10. Ironically, if they pull out they harm themselves as much as us.
    I’ve highlighted the intell side many times, we are so joined at the hip in so many areas I can list.
    Lets see actions in place louder than words, we await you leaving all the USVF locations in the UK.
    I bet that they don’t, as saner heads in the DoD and USIC will be pulling their hair out.

    • I agree, it’s amazing how one sided the intelligence debate is sighted as. Like America purely out of generosity shares intelligence with the UK and the £4 billion a year we spend on intelligence buys nothing.

      As we have seen from the Snowden leaks GCHQ offers invaluable intelligence and capabilities to the NSA and other US agencies.

      Intelligence is probably the one area where we do make a major irreplaceable contribution to the “special” relationship.

      • … and what Trump likes to call the Russia, Russia, Russia hoax which, as Senator Whiteside so succinctly laid out a few weeks back in Congress was anything but a hoax… indeed a lot wider into Epstein and others than formally let on.

    • I find that the most annoying part about the MAGA-blinded lot. They don’t seem to have noticed that a large part of the reason the US was global hegemon for 50 years or so was that by and large they represented the rest of us Western nations internationally because we mostly agreed on us. Their ability to influence Russia is tied to their bases in Europe, their ability to control the ME is tied to their bases in the Gulf states, their ability to oppose China is tied to their bases in Japan and South Korea. If they annoy their allies enough they will say ‘fine, have it your way’ and then a big chunk of their global hard power is gone.
      Certainly, if they want to be America Alone then go ahead, they’ve got the resources to do it. But nobody will listen to them for long.

  12. I was ‘politely’ scorned about 6 months ago on this forum when I suggested the US wasn’t reliable and that our 100 FGR4s were a fraction of what they need to be for our current and future requirements.

    • Yes, we need more Typhoons. That’s my opinon too, but there’s a debate about it because the official line is the RAF don’t want more and want us to buy F-35As instead.

      It’s hard in Defence to argue that the people whose job it is to know this stuff don’t seem to know this stuff. It’s why every purchase has to be requirements-driven so the experts are allowed their way. Except we still end up with gold plating and too few of anything. Then the government jumps in, wanting UK-built shiny things for their publicity pictures and local jobs. Now that Turkey will be putting in a Typhoon order assembled in the UK, there’s no pressing jobs argument to be had, only the one that says the RAF are wrong and they need Typhoons above F-35As. Which is where I stand. That’s a tough sell.

      • I suspect the military were somewhat derisory about the Martlet too, preferring rather higher performing missiles for most platforms but wow how that debate has been turned on its head by recent events.

  13. My user name is accurate for me in every area bar one. I am a consultant psychologist specialising in assessing parents involved in child protection proceedings and interparental conflict. So I know a thing or two about assessing psychologically complex individuals. I am ethically barred from offering clinical opinions on people in the public eye who I have not personally assessed (though increasing numbers of my American colleagues are now breaching this rule in his case)

    That said, it is fair to say that I have a professional opinion about the man in the White House and it is not positive or optimistic about the immediate future for any of us I’m afraid.

  15. Recent polling in the US shows that Trump’s actions with Iran is only garnering around 14% support with Americans. Any US ally would be a fool to engage in this war with this president. Facilitating Trump will damage our long term relationship with the US.

    • Spot on that some people do fail to consider. There’s going to be a big reckoning not too far ahead and those close to him will suffer nationally and internationally. The big worry is what then happens a further 5 plus years down the line when like before, we have convince ourselves some semblance of sanity has returned. MAGA may break apart but I fear the next clown show may be only round the corner esp as Americans increasingly can’t accept a bigger bully confronting them and feeling powerless which brought MAGA to us in the first place and that need to blame everyone but themselves.

  16. Speaking as an average American living in the Midwest, I suggest that the best course is to ignore Trump’s late night ramblings. The U.S. is bound by treaty to defend members of NATO. Trump doesn’t get that. He hopefully will go away in two years. I wish the U. S. governing system were more functional, but regardless, the pendulum will swing and this sad chapter in U.S. politics will end then.

  17. Trump is projecting to mask his own failures, or looking for excuses to develope an ulterior agenda.

    But if taking what he says at face value. Even if Europen NATO was to put a force together to take the Straite or for an escort mission, it would take a while to get that force together and be deployed. Iran is still very active and the Straite very narrow, it would be difficult environment with potentially high losses, which is probably why he is projecting the task onto European allies.

    • Aah you got it, we are to be his cannon fodder to prove our value to him. We lose either way so best to be as self sufficient as possible as quickly as possible.

  18. The reality is US hegemonic power was previously on a knife edge with essentially the only thing really holding China back being the fact the US had 30% of the worlds power and its western allies bringing another 25%…

    The US without Europe is essentially one eye and a hand tied behind its back.. it will be stripped of most of its high north access ( unless it wants to go to war with Canada and Europe.. in which case its putting bullets through both knees and elbows) it losses all easy access to the Middle East and Africa as well as the India ocean..

    Russia may well come for Europe.. but China will definitely go for the US and I know which one I would not want to go to war with… especially in a decade when it will out number the USN in almost every metric 2-1

    Quite frankly this man is a lunatic and has destroyed western hegemony.. I think we need to accept that and the UK needs to work hand in glove with the EU to make Europe a march fit geopolitical power pole.. or we are fucked.. because I don’t believe there is now a road back for the US and Europe within a generation…

  19. The ranting of a criminal facist lunatic but never a truer word spoken. Let’s see what spin Starmer puts on that to pretend they are still friends and saviours so we don’t have to spend a brass farthing on defence. The Yanks have betrayed everyone since Korea so why would they stop at us?

  20. All the conflicts that Britain has fought in since the end of WW2, only 3 were of our making, the rest are because the USA dragged us in, at the cost of many many young lives and un told £ Billions.
    Korea, Gulf war one and two, Irag, Afganistain, they never backed us in Suez or the Falklands war, rased money for the IRA durring the troubles, They as good as left us in Afghan so we had fudge a withdraw, they left Vietnam who was an allie to fall, started a war in Iran with out telling us, insult our Afghan dead and insult our Armed Forces, and they meant to are allies.
    They wont give us codes the F35 to add european weapons, the will only sell weapons to Europe to help Ukraine no more gifting and the want the money back for what they gifted in a mining deal. They are letting Russia sell oil that funds its war in Ukraine and now want us to sort the Straints out because they will not risk ships trying to force it, and our cost of living has gone up because of them. With friends like that we do not need any more enemies.

  21. He’s a funny old trout, is Trump. There he is with his good buddy Erdogan of Türkiye, fellow NATO member, fellow Board of Peace member, one of the largest armies in Europe and living right next door to Iran. Not a peep.

  22. These comments are just designed to get a rise. That pillick Hegseth declared they had met their goal of regime change. Which was a giraffe.

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