ISTANBUL
British diplomats have reportedly signaled that access in Washington has narrowed under US President Donald Trump’s second term, further strained by recent tensions with the UK over the Iran war.
Officials speaking to the Financial Times pointed to strained relations between Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, which have affected working relationships among diplomats, officials and military personnel.
According to the news report published on Tuesday, British officials stressed that the shift is not new and that tensions have continued since the start of Trump’s second term.
A handful of US officials assigned to UK government departments are now increasingly asked to step out of meetings when sensitive matters are discussed, marking a departure from the previously more open approach, according to one source.
Sources said Starmer’s refusal to allow the US to use British bases for initial strikes on Iran emerged as a key point of tension in UK-US relations.
“Starmer is getting singled out among European leaders for a particular battering by Trump over Iran,” said one former senior British official. “You can see why things might get a bit tense.”
Officials also said the White House has been operating through a tighter inner circle under Trump’s second term, further narrowing the usual diplomatic channels in Washington.
They added that access is increasingly dependent on a small group of advisers.
“Under this administration, we see our access to senior political decision-makers diminishing because the people we have access to are having their own access curtailed,” said one person familiar with the exchanges.
Meanwhile, some officials told the Financial Times that although there is “clearly damage to trust,” daily contacts continue.
The remarks came amid turmoil in ties between the two transatlantic allies as the US president renewed his criticism of the UK for refusing to allow the US military access to British bases for US and Israeli initial strikes on Iran on Feb. 28.
The UK eventually allowed access for “defensive” action as Iran fired missiles and drones across the Gulf, but Starmer has since stressed that the UK will not join the war with Iran.
Regional escalation has continued since the US and Israel launched an offensive against Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people to date, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.