US President Donald Trump said King Charles agreed Iran must not obtain a nuclear weapon, bringing the Middle East conflict into a White House state dinner for the visiting British monarch.
Trump made the remarks on Tuesday during an opening toast at the White House, where he said the United States was doing “a little Middle East work” and would not allow its opponent to acquire nuclear arms.
The president did not name Iran in the comment, but the remarks came amid US pressure on Tehran over the war.
King Charles did not mention Iran or the war in his own remarks after Trump’s speech. The British monarch is not a spokesman for the British government.
The British Embassy in Washington referred Reuters to Buckingham Palace when asked about Trump’s comments. Buckingham Palace did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The dinner was held on the second day of Charles’s four-day state visit to the United States. Earlier, he became only the second monarch to address the US Congress.
"Charles agrees with me even more than I do… We're never going to let that opponent have a nuclear weapon."
President Trump appears to reveal a conversation he and King Charles had about Iran, and claims the monarch agrees with him.https://t.co/N78YPYergK pic.twitter.com/XI1IMtaWTL
— Sky News (@SkyNews) April 29, 2026
In that speech, Charles did not directly mention the Iran war. He referred to Trump’s criticism of NATO, the importance of continued US support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, and the risks of isolationism.
Read: King Charles Honors Stars at Windsor Castle Ceremony Highlights
Britain and the United States have long said Tehran should not develop nuclear weapons. Iran denies seeking nuclear arms and says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
The state dinner came during tense UK-US exchanges after Trump repeatedly criticised British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over what Trump called a lack of help in prosecuting the Iran war.