Sadiq Khan has said King Charles could ‘speak some sense’ into Donald Trump after his ‘grotesque’ threats to obliterate Iran if they did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The London Mayor welcomed the last-minute ceasefire announced between the US and Iran on Tuesday evening, and backed Sir Keir Starmer’s refusal to endorse the strikes carried out by the US and Israel.
Since the outbreak of the war, which began on February 28, the Middle East has been thrown into turmoil and oil and petrol prices have surged.
Speaking to Metro during a visit to a youth centre, where he announced a £30 million investment in youth clubs in the capital, Khan – who has a fractious relationship with the US President – criticised Trump’s Truth Social message claiming ‘a whole civilisation will die tonight’ if they did not re-open the Strait.
‘It was a grotesque form of words,’ he said. ‘He gives succour and clover to people on the margins.
‘We are talking about the leader of the free world. Anyone who knows anything about history knows Iran is the cradle of civilisation.’
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He said Trump’s description of King Charles as a ‘friend’ could give the monarch an opportunity to encourage Trump to tone down his threats.
‘If anyone can get through to Trump the King can,’ Khan said. ‘The special relationship is a good thing in my opinion.
‘It could be the good counsel from the King (that Trump does not follow through on the threats).
‘The US is important for our economy and security. I think the King is a brilliant diplomat.’
The mayor added that he felt the planned state visit to the US by the King should go ahead.
The King and Queen are due to visit the US for a state visit at the end of April.
The president has promised them ‘a beautiful banquet dinner’ and revealed the ‘historic state visit’ will take place over four days from April 27-30 – despite Buckingham Palace deciding not to release the exact dates in its own official announcement.
‘I look forward to spending time with the King, whom I greatly respect. It will be TERRIFIC!,’ Mr Trump added.
Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey previously condemned the decision to continue with the trip, and accused Sir Keir of showing a ‘staggering lack of backbone’ while Trump treated the UK with contempt.
Trump has been very critical of the Prime Minister over failing to fully back the attacks on Iran or send warships to protect shipping in the Straits of Hormuz describing him as ‘no Winston Churchill’ and over the weekend appeared to compare him to Neville Chamberlain.
The UK’s prime minister in the 1930s is most remembered for the policy of ‘appeasement’ towards Nazi Germany, is the latest sign of an increasingly strained transatlantic relationship.
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