Downing Street said the UK ‘couldn’t be clearer’ about Britain’s sovereignty over the Falkland Islands after leaked messages suggested the US might order a review in retaliation over Iran
11:48, 24 Apr 2026Updated 12:11, 24 Apr 2026
Downing Street has hit back over reports Trump could review the UK’s claim on the Falkland Islands(Image: AP)
Downing Street has hit back at Donald Trump’s threat to review the UK’s claim over the Falkland Islands.
No10 said the Government “couldn’t be clearer” that sovereignty on the territory remains with the UK after the US President’s latest bombshell. On Thursday evening it emerged that the unpredictable US commander-in-chief is considering punishing Britain for not co-operating with the chaotic Iran war.
A leaked Pentagon email outlines options for Trump to hit back at Nato allies for lack of support in the Middle East, according to Reuters. These include reassessing US diplomatic support for European “imperial possessions” – like the Falklands, which are in the South Atlantic near Argentina.
A No10 spokesman said: “We could not be clearer about the UK’s position on the Falkland Islands. Its longstanding and unchanged sovereignty rests with the UK and the island’s right to self-determination is paramount, and it’s been our consistent position and will remain so.”
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The search and rescue mission off the coast of the Falkland Islands will continue into the night (Image: No credit)
He continued: “UK sovereignty and the islanders’ right to self-determination is not in question. And we’ve expressed that position clearly and consistently. We’ll continue to do so.”
Asked if the UK was in a position to defend the islands, the spokesman said: “That is not the situation we’re in. That’s a hypothetical.”
The US President’s comments will not make the PM change course on Iran, the spokesman said. Buenos Aires asserts a claim over the islands – also known as Las Malvinas – which are administered by the UK. The US supported Britain’s efforts to retake the islands during the Falklands War in 1982, a conflict which saw 650 Argentine soldiers and 255 British troops die.
The memo also floated the idea of kicking Spain out of Nato, after Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez criticised Operation Epic Fury and refused to allow Spain’s bases or airspace to be used to attack Iran.
Vindictive Trump has also threatened to slap tariffs on the UK if it refuses to drop a digital services tax on American social media firms. First introduced in 2020, it imposes a 2% levy on the revenues of several major US tech companies.
No10 said the PM will not be swayed by Trump’s threats(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Speaking to reporters from the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump said: “If they don’t drop the tax, we’ll probably put a big tariff on the UK.”
The plan to review support European territories was reportedly nestled in an internal Pentagon email that laid out options to punish Nato allies. Trump has lashed out at the defensive alliance after claiming he did not need anyone else to help crush the Iranian regime.
Documents also said the US should consider withdrawing troops from Europe, according to reports.
When asked about the document, Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson said: “As President Trump has said, despite everything that the United States has done for our Nato allies, they were not there for us. The War Department will ensure that the President has credible options to ensure that our allies are no longer a paper tiger and instead do their part. We have no further comment on any internal deliberations to that effect.”