Only "special relationship" U.S. has is "probably Israel," U.K. ambassador said

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Britain's Ambassador to the U.S., Sir Christian Turner, said successful February, earlier the U.S. and Israel launched their associated warfare with Iran, that to him it seemed the "only country" to person a "special relationship" with the United States was "probably Israel."

Turner made the remarks to a radical of British high-school property students visiting the U.S. A signaling of the comments was obtained by the Financial Times and reported by the paper connected Tuesday.

Turner besides told the students helium considered it "extraordinary" that the ungraded implicit the precocious enactment offender Jeffrey Epstein had "brought down a elder subordinate of the royal household [Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor], a British ambassador to Washington [Peter Mandelson], perchance the premier curate [Keir Starmer], and yet present successful the U.S., it truly hasn't touched anybody."

Turner said that helium didn't similar the word "special relationship," coined by Prime Minister Winston Churchill successful the aftermath of World War II, to picture the U.S.-U.K. bond, calling it "quite nostalgic" and "backwards-looking," according to the FT.

"I deliberation determination is astir apt 1 state that has a peculiar narration with the United States," helium said, "and that is astir apt Israel."

CBS News has not reviewed the audio of his remarks, but the British authorities has not denied their authenticity.

In a connection to CBS News, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office said Turner's remarks were "private, informal comments made to a radical of U.K. sixth-form students visiting the U.S. successful aboriginal February. They are surely not immoderate reflection of the UK Government's position."

Turner did archer the students, who would person been mostly 16 and 17 years aged successful that people level, that U.K.-U.S. ties were "so strong," citing "a heavy past and affinity betwixt us. Particularly connected defence and security, we are intertwined."

His backstage remarks were made nationalist arsenic King Charles III and Queen Camila paid a ceremonial authorities visit to the U.S., being welcomed astatine the White House by President Trump up of an code by the monarch to a associated league of the U.S. Congress.

The royal sojourn has been seen wide arsenic a bid by the U.K. authorities to easiness transatlantic ties, aft Mr. Trump's repeated bashing of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whom the American person has accused of failing to enactment the Iran warfare effort.

Starmer has besides been warring home calls for his resignation by governmental opponents implicit his determination to name Turner's predecessor, Peter Mandelson — a person of Epstein's — to the ambassadorship.

Starmer fired Mandelson — a mainstay of Starmer's ain Labour Party since the 1990s — from the ambassadorship successful September, soon aft details of the extent of his relationship with Epstein emerged successful the infamous files released successful Washington.

Mr. Trump weighed successful connected the substance past week, predicting that Starmer tin "recover" from the scandal.

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