During a lavish state dinner at the White House on April 29, 2026, President Donald Trump said Britain’s King Charles III agreed that Iran must not be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon.
Addressing the monarch and other guests, Trump said Iran had been “militarily defeated” and declared: “We have militarily defeated that particular opponent. Charles agrees with me even more than I do — we’re never going to let that opponent have a nuclear weapon.” It was Trump’s first public comment on the sensitive topic during the royal visit.
The state dinner featured light banter alongside political messaging. Charles and Trump toasted, trading jibes about historical rivalries and alliances. The king quipped about the president’s earlier remarks that Europe might be “speaking German” without US help in World War II, countering that “if it wasn’t for us, you’d be speaking French.” He also joked about “readjustments” to the East Wing, referencing Trump’s visit to Windsor Castle, and wryly noted Britain’s 1814 Burning of Washington as an attempt at “real estate redevelopment.”
Trump praised Charles’s speech to Congress as “fantastic,” adding, “He got the Democrats to stand, I could never do that.” The monarch had earlier delivered a rare address to a joint session of the US Congress, invoking shared history and urging the US and UK to “rededicate” themselves to their longstanding alliance. Charles warned against inward-looking tendencies and spoke of building shared defence projects including F-35 cooperation and the ambitious submarine program tied to AUKUS.
In his congressional remarks, Charles emphasized environmental stewardship and interfaith dialogue. He described nature as “our most precious and irreplaceable asset” and warned that the collapse of critical natural systems threatens prosperity and security. The king spoke of faith — calling Christianity “a firm anchor and daily inspiration” — and underlined his commitment to interfaith understanding, urging compassion, peace and mutual respect among peoples of all faiths and none.
Earlier in the day, Trump and Charles held private talks in the Oval Office. The meeting was closed to the public; reporters were later told by Trump that “it was a really good meeting” and that he found the king and queen “fantastic people.” The royals also toured the White House grounds, including a beekeeping exhibit promoted by First Lady Melania Trump, who showed a hive shaped like a miniature White House.
The visit has unfolded amid occasional tensions in the transatlantic relationship. Trump had recently expressed displeasure with the UK over issues including the Strait of Hormuz and described two British aircraft carriers as “toys,” yet at the White House he hailed the “special relationship,” saying Americans have “had no closer friends than the British.” Charles’s US trip — part of a four-day state visit to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence — was intended to celebrate ties and provide high-profile opportunities to reinforce alliance ties.
The visit also generated separate headlines: the US State Department announced plans to produce a limited number of commemorative passports bearing President Trump’s portrait for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and reporting surfaced that Britain’s ambassador to Washington had previously described the term “special relationship” as “quite nostalgic,” adding that “there is probably one country that has a special relationship with the United States — and that is probably Israel.” The UK Foreign Office said those remarks were “private, informal comments” and did not reflect government policy.
Across multiple events, Charles received standing ovations for parts of his speech, particularly when invoking shared values and democratic commitments. He specifically mentioned Ukraine, calling for “a truly just and lasting peace.” The visit combined ceremonial pomp with policy messaging on defence, the environment, faith and the enduring bonds between the two nations, while also providing a stage for the US president to signal his positions on global security, including his stance on Iran’s nuclear ambitions.