President Trump on Tuesday said King Charles III “agrees” that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon.
“We’re doing a little Middle East work right now, as you might know, and we’re doing very well. We have militarily defeated that particular opponent, and we’re never going to let that opponent ever—Charles agrees with me even more than I do— We’re never going to let that opponent have a nuclear weapon,” the president said.
Charles cannot comment on the war as the King is expected to maintain strict neutrality in political matters. The UK constitutional convention prevents the monarch from interfering in government policy and expressing partisan views.
However, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has made clear that he doesn’t believe the UK should become involved in the war.
“This is not our war,” the prime minister said earlier this month. “We will not be drawn into the conflict.”
Starmer has convened international meetings seeking diplomatic efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for global use and has previously stated that Iran should not be able to obtain a nuclear weapon.
In early March, he issued a statement urging Tehran to “abandon its aspiration to develop a nuclear weapon and cease its destabilising activities across the Middle East.”
He added, “That has been the longstanding position of successive British governments.”
On Tuesday, the British monarch, in a historic speech, appealed to shared values between the U.S. and the U.K., while stressing the importance of international cooperation and service in a historic address to a joint meeting of Congress.
Charles’s address came at a moment of sky-high tension between the traditionally close allies, and his visit had been billed in advance as an opportunity to lower the temperature.
Trump has previously indicated that he’d like to withdraw U.S. membership from NATO after several allies pushed back against his handling of the Iran war. This move would require congressional approval and would likely face opposition from across the aisle.
