Donald Trump says US is 'reviewing' Falkland Islands support for UK

Donald Trump has said he is "reviewing" American support for Britain’s sovereignty over the Falkland Islands .

The move is likely to place strain on the “special relationship” between the UK and US, and comes following a leaked Pentagon email from several months back that suggested the US may reneg on its Falkland Islands support of the UK as a punitive measure for its perceived lack of support for the US offensive in Iran.

When asked about his stance on the Falkland Islands, Trump told reporters: “I always review every position – that’s just one of many."

The South Atlantic islands belong to Britain, but Argentina has long disputed the UK's claim to the archipelago, asserting sovereignty. Argentina's president is also a close ally of Trump.

Political tensions over the territory boiled over into conflict in 1982. The war lasted 74 days and ended with a complete Argentine surrender. Currently, the US takes a neutral position on who has rightful sovereignty over the islands.

Trump’s comments in the Oval Office on Monday are just the latest sign that Washington is prepared to use the dispute as leverage against the UK. As well as punishment for not following America headlong into conflict with Iran in February, the Falkland stance may act as a way to place pressure on Westminster to raise its defence spending and contributions to NATO.

An unnamed US official told the Telegraph last week that the White House may change its position regarding the Falkland Islands - or, as they say in Argentina, Islas Malvinas - if Britain fails to meet Trump's demands on a minimum defence spend of five per cent of GDP.

At the weekend, the British government reiterated its position by asserting its “long-standing and unwavering” commitment to ensure the islands remain a British Overseas Territory.

A spokesperson said, as per the Independent: “The UK is playing a central role in NATO and strengthening collective defence across Europe. We are NATO’s third-largest cash spender on defence and the only European NATO member to commit our nuclear deterrent to the alliance.”