Disagreement with Trump over Iran ‘strained’ UK-US ties: British minister

The disagreement with Washington over Iran has “strained” the UK-US ties, the British health secretary said Sunday, noting that US President Donald Trump has said “outrageous” things.

“Over the course of the last week, President Trump has said some pretty bold – in ‘Yes Minister’ language – incendiary, provocative, outrageous things on social media,” Wes Streeting told Sky News, referring to a British sitcom which satirizes politics and government.

The health secretary added that he is “not sure it’s ever clear” what Trump means when he posts on social media.

“I think we’ve all come to learn that you judge President Trump through what he does, not just what he says,” said Streeting.

He defended the government’s decision not to join the Iran war, saying it is “not a war of our choosing.”

“The difference of agreement with Iran has undoubtedly strained things with the Trump administration,” he said, but noted that on so many other things, the two countries’ interests are intertwined.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has stressed the Iran war is “not our war” and that the UK will not be drawn into it when Trump announced he is considering pulling the US out of NATO over the lack of support from allies during the Iran war.

More than 3,300 people have been killed in US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran since Feb. 28. Tehran launched retaliatory strikes on Israel, Iraq, Jordan, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets before a two-week ceasefire was announced earlier this week.

Iranian and US delegations concluded face-to-face talks in the Pakistani capital Islamabad early Sunday, without reaching an agreement.