US Pres. Donald Trump. Photo courtesy of Anadolu.
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that King Charles III shares his position on preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
During a state dinner honoring the British monarch, Trump referenced ongoing Middle East tensions and US operations in the region, saying his administration was “doing a little Middle East work right now” and that the situation was “going very well.”
He claimed that Iran had been “militarily defeated,” without providing further details, and reiterated his administration’s opposition to any Iranian nuclear capability.
“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,” he added.
The US and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran on Feb. 28, prompting Tehran to respond with strikes on what it described as US interests across the region, many of them in Gulf countries.
A ceasefire was announced on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, followed by talks hosted in Islamabad on April 11-12, but the negotiations ended without an agreement.
Trump later said the truce had been extended at Pakistan’s request pending a proposal from Tehran.
– ‘We have stood together through the best and worst of times’
Trump said it was a “great honor” to host the King and Queen and congratulated him on a “fantastic speech” before Congress.
“He got the Democrats to stand — I’ve never been able to do that. I couldn’t believe it! They liked him more than they’ve ever liked any Republican or Democrat, actually,” he said.
Trump also praised “a friendship unlike any other on Earth” between the two countries.
“Ours is a treasured friendship, an eternal bond, and a true story of extraordinary heroism and skill…History has known no more powerful force than the combination of American patriotism and British pride,” he said.
For his part, King Charles reflected on the enduring relationship between the UK and the US.
“We have stood together through the best and worst of times,” he said.
The king also reaffirmed support for NATO and AUKUS, the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the UK and the US.
Charles said he would “never forget that freedom is again under attack,” referring to Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
“Today, our partnerships in NATO and AUKUS deepen our cooperation and ensure that together, we meet the challenges of an increasingly complex world,” he said.
King Charles described a naval vessel he said had a unique connection to both nations’ wartime efforts, referring to a ship he identified as a predecessor-era vessel launched in 1944 and later associated with service alongside Australian forces in the Pacific.
Her name, he said, was the HMS Trump.
“In her honor,” the king continued, “tonight, Mr. President, I am delighted to present to you, as a personal gift, the original bell which hung on the conning tower of your valiant namesake. May it stand as a testimony to our nations’ shared history and shining future.”
The king also joked about Trump’s past comments on European history.
“You recently commented, Mr. President, that if it were not for the United States, European countries would be speaking German. Dare I say that if it wasn’t for us, you’d be speaking French,” he said. (ANADOLU)