The wars the UK has fought alongside the US and when Britain has refused

"The so-called special relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States has long waxed hot and cold, but is now under critical strain as Donald Trump's administration escalates war in the Middle East. The UK has not directly joined the US-Israeli assault on Iran, and amid retaliatory strikes on countries across the region, the US president has lashed out at Sir Keir Starmer as being "no Winston Churchill", after he did not allow the Washington to use UK bases to launch initial air strikes against Tehran."

"Churchill popularised the term special relationship in a 1946 speech warning about the threat posed by the Soviet Union to the West following the end of the Second World War. Since then, intelligence sharing, military co-operation, trade and cultural ties have bound the two nations in varying degrees of dependence and trust, which has endured despite shifting global politics."

The traditional special relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States has historically been defined by intelligence sharing, military cooperation, trade, and cultural ties. This partnership, formalized by Churchill in 1946 and renewed by Bush and Blair after 9/11, has endured through varying degrees of dependence and trust despite shifting global politics. Currently, the relationship experiences critical strain under Trump's administration as escalating Middle East conflict unfolds. The UK has not directly joined US-Israeli operations against Iran, and Trump has publicly criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer, comparing him unfavorably to Churchill, after Britain declined to allow Washington to use UK bases for initial air strikes against Tehran.

Read at www.independent.co.uk