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Trump Reposts SNL UK Skit Mocking Starmer, Adding Heat to UKUS Rift Over Iran

The move turns a comedy sketch into leverage over Iran policy, with focus on reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Overview

  • President Trump shared the debut SNL UK cold open on Sunday on Truth Social without a caption.
  • The version he posted ended early, omitting a later line where the Starmer character declines to join a war and instead permits US use of British bases.
  • The repost followed the UK’s March 20 decision allowing US forces to use RAF facilities for defensive operations against Iranian missile sites threatening ships.
  • Downing Street said the two leaders also spoke by phone about reopening the Strait of Hormuz to restart global shipping, with the sequence of the call and the post unclear.
  • Trump has escalated public criticism of allies over Iran, calling NATO countries "cowards" and saying Starmer is "not Winston Churchill", as a de facto closure of the strait—which carries about a fifth of the world’s oil—pushes up energy costs.