US war latest: Macron tells Trump ‘you don’t need to speak every day’ in scathing attack on war policy

The French president said reopening the Strait of Hormuz using force would not work and urged Trump to ‘be serious’
Emmanuel Macron has told Donald Trump that the war in Iran requires a “serious” approach in the most scathing attack on the US president by an ally since the war began.

Speaking to reporters in South Korea, the French leader said that the conflict was “not a show” and that Trump should not make contradictory remarks about his aims.

"When you want to be serious you don't say every day the opposite of what you said the day before," Macron said.

"And maybe you shouldn't be speaking every day.

You should just let things quieten down."
Trump has offered mixed messages on his objectives in the Iran war, often in the same day.

His comments came hours after Trump sparked outrage by mocking Macron and his wife, Brigitte, over a video that surfaced last year in which she appeared to shove the French president.

“He is still recovering”, Trump told reporters in comments that sparked a significant backlash in France.

On Wednesday, Trump attacked France for not allowing US aircraft to fly over its space - a decision already implemented by Spain, Austria and Switzerland.

Key points recap: Donald Trump's address to the nation on Iran
On Wednesday night President Donald Trump delivered a 17-minute national address on Iran.

Here’s a recap of key points in case you missed it:
Trump tells Iran to make a deal before 'there is nothing left'
Donald Trump has threatened Iran to “make a deal before it is too late”, as he boasts of an attack on civilian infrastructure.

In a post on Truth Social, he said: “The biggest bridge in Iran comes tumbling down, never to be used again — Much more to follow!

“IT IS TIME FOR IRAN TO MAKE A DEAL BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE, AND THERE IS NOTHING LEFT OF WHAT STILL COULD BECOME A GREAT COUNTRY!

President DONALD J.

TRUMP”
Starmer and Trump's 'bust-up' is different to previous US-UK rows, former ambassador says
The “bust-up” between Keir Starmer and Donald Trump is different to past disputes between British and American leaders, a former ambassador to the US has said.

Lord Darroch said the US president’s rhetoric towards Starmer was “pretty wounding”.

He told Sky News: “What’s different, I think, is first of all, the president keeps banging on about how disappointed he is with Starmer.

“He seems to say something new every two or three days and the tone of it is pretty wounding.

“Second, the difference between Trump and some of his predecessors, with whom British prime ministers have clashed, is you can't imagine Clinton or Reagan imposing tariffs or taking other action like that, whereas I'm afraid you can imagine that with Trump.”
“It’s not good but the government has to basically ignore the noise and carry on.”
Trump has repeatedly hit out at Starmer over what he says is a lack of support from the UK in the Iran war.

Moment Macron hits out at Trump: 'Perhaps we should not speak every day'
Cooper refuses to say if US is still an ally as she vows to do everything possible to reopen Strait of Hormuz
The Independent’s Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin reports:
Yvette Cooper dodged questions on whether the US was still an ally as she said the UK and other nations would use "every possible” diplomatic, economic and co-ordinated measure to reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz.

The foreign secretary comments came after she chaired international talks on tackling "reckless" Iranian attacks on the vital oil shipping lane, where 2,000 ships remain trapped.

But she evaded a question on whether or not Washington was still an ally, a day after Rachel Reeves expressed her anger at Donald Trump over the Iran war, saying only: "We want to see the conflict resolved, concluded, as rapidly as possible, because, frankly, that's what's best for the cost of living here in the UK."
Tehran has blocked the channel in retaliation for the month-long US-Israeli campaign against it, causing global oil prices to soar.

In the face of US President Donald Trump's repeated criticism of allies over their refusal to take part in his offensive against Iran, Ms Cooper said that "our job is to take decisions in the UK national interest".

Cooper refuses to say if US is still an ally after talks to reopen Strait of Hormuz
Trump's threat to leave Nato is Putin's 'dream plan'
The threat of Nato’s break-up alongside the energy crisis is Europe “looks like Putin’s dream plan”, the Polish prime minister has stated.

Donald Tusk, who was previously president of the European Council, wrote on social media: “The threat of NATO’s break-up, easing sanctions on Russia, a massive energy crisis in Europe, halting aid for Ukraine and blocking the loan for Kyiv by Orbán - it all looks like Putin’s dream plan.”
It comes after Donald Trump said he was seriously considering withdrawing the US from Nato.

The US president has continued to criticise the alliance for its lack of involvement in the Middle East.

He told Politico on Friday he “couldn’t care less” about Nato, saying : “They were they weren't there.

I have no frustration.

I couldn't care less.

“I didn't need them ...

But if I ever did need them, they wouldn't be there.

And we had a lot of money every year in NATO, so I learned a lot.

So did the country, so did the United States, and NATO is -- NATO is a paper tiger.”
What in god’s name is Pete Hegseth doing in Iran?

Religious framing is ‘completely, totally unprecedented,’ experts say
For Pete Hegseth, the Iran war is not only a conflict between states, but a cosmic showdown between good and evil, where bullets are instruments of divine will, and fallen foes are condemned to eternal hellfire.

The defense secretary, an Evangelical Christian, has explicitly framed the Middle East war through the lens of his faith, weaving scripture into his remarks, praying for “ overwhelming violence ” against his enemies and insisting that God stands with the U.S.

against Iran, a Muslim-majority nation of some 90 million people.

Rhetoric of this intensity and frequency — from an official of Hegseth’s stature — has scant precedent in modern American history, according to former officials, scholars and military advocates who spoke with The Independent .

'They gotta get guts and go in' Trump tells Politico about Nato
President Donald Trump has revealed why he did not address Nato in his speech last night.

“Well, I did indirectly.

I talked about the people that use the – it wasn’t a Nato speech, it was a Middle East speech, but I did indirectly,” he told Politico in a phone call on Wednesday.

“I talked about the Strait, they weren't there….”
He added” “They gotta get guts and go in.

Just send your ships up there and enjoy it.”
What happened at today's planning meeting to reopen the Strait of Hormuz?

British foreign minister Yvette Cooper held a virtual meeting with around 40 countries on Thursday to discuss options to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The meeting included reps from France, Germany, Canada, the UAE and India.

The US was apparently absent from the group.

Cooper said that partners were focused on diplomatic planning (not military).

“Economic tools and pressures” - likely sanctions - were also on the agenda, she said.

European diplomats said putting the coalition together was at an early stage, with Britain and France leading.

Officials said the talks would focus on which countries were prepared to take part before military planners meet for talks next week.

France said the process would be multi-phased and could not start until hostilities had calmed or ended.

Macron tells Trump: You don't need to speak every day
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