24/04/2026
Keir Starmer is hitting back at Donald Trump after he orders a review of Britain's claim to Falkland Islands 😯
Downing Street said the UK 'couldn't be clearer' about Britain's sovereignty over the Falkland Islands after leaked messages suggested the US might order a review in retaliation over Iran.
On Thursday evening it emerged that the unpredictable US commander-in-chief is considering punishing Britain for not co-operating with the chaotic Iran war.
A leaked Pentagon email outlines options for Trump to hit back at Nato allies for lack of support in the Middle East, according to Reuters 📧
These include reassessing US diplomatic support for European "imperial possessions" - like the Falklands, which are in the South Atlantic near Argentina.
A No10 spokesman said: "We could not be clearer about the UK's position on the Falkland Islands. Its longstanding and unchanged sovereignty rests with the UK and the island's right to self-determination is paramount, and it's been our consistent position and will remain so."
He continued: "UK sovereignty and the islanders' right to self-determination is not in question. And we've expressed that position clearly and consistently. We'll continue to do so."
Asked if the UK was in a position to defend the islands, the spokesman said: "That is not the situation we're in. That's a hypothetical."
The US President's comments will not make the PM change course on Iran, the spokesman said. Buenos Aires asserts a claim over the islands - also known as Las Malvinas - which are administered by the UK. The US supported Britain’s efforts to retake the islands during the Falklands War in 1982, a conflict which saw 650 Argentine soldiers and 255 British troops die.