Since February, the United States and Israel have been engaged in a war with Iran. One key point of contention has been Iran’s nuclear program, with Donald Trump repeatedly asserting that the country must not acquire a nuclear weapon. 

King Charles III and Queen Camilla are on a four-day state visit to the US. When speaking during a formal state dinner on Tuesday evening (April 28), Trump said the US would ‘never’ allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon, and suggested that King Charles shared the same view. 

During his speech at the White House dinner, the president said: “We’re doing a little Middle East work right now … and we’re doing very well. Queen Camilla, King Charles III, President Donald Trump, and First Lady Melania Trump (Samir Hussein/WireImage) “We have militarily defeated that particular opponent, and we’re never going to let that opponent ever, Charles agrees with me even more than I do, we’re never going to let that opponent have a nuclear weapon. “They know that, and they’ve known it right now, very powerfully.” 

As the head of state, King Charles III is expected to remain politically neutral. He did not speak about Iran or the Iran war in his own comments after Trump's speech. 

What has Buckingham Palace said? 

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson has now issued a statement: “The King is naturally mindful of his Government’s long-standing and well-known position on the prevention of nuclear proliferation.”

Earlier on Tuesday, King Charles and President Trump sat down for bilateral talks. When questioned by the media after, Trump said: “It was a really good meeting. He’s a fantastic person. They’re incredible people and it’s a real honor.” One area of discussion in Charles III’s state dinner speech was the strength of UK–US relations.

President Trump and King Charles met at the White House (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) He emphasised the importance of maintaining close ties between the two countries, drawing comparisons to past moments of strain and cooperation, including the period following the Suez Crisis, after which Queen Elizabeth II visited the United States. 

King Charles addressed guests at the dinner, which included the likes of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and pro golfer Rory McIlroy, saying: “And yes, we have had our moments of difficulty, even in more recent history. When my mother visited in 1957, not the least of her tasks was to help put the ‘special’ back into our relationship after a crisis in the Middle East.” 

King Charles and Queen Camilla's US state visit schedule It marks the first British state visit to the US since Queen Elizabeth II's in 2007 (Suzanne Plunkett - Pool via Samir Hussein/WireImage)