Rachel Reeves ‘had a furious row with America’s finance chief’ after condemning Trump’s war on Iran
Rachel Reeves had a furious row with her US counterpart after condemning Donald Trump’s Iran war, it was claimed today.
The chancellor is said to have clashed with Scott Bessent during IMF meetings in Washington last month.
The blunt exchanges came after Ms Reeves branded the military action “folly” and said she was “angry” that the British would suffer as a result.
Downing Street did not deny the reports in the Financial Times today.
A spokesperson said: ‘We would not have private conversations. The Chancellor and the US Secretary of the Treasury have a good relationship.
“They have had constructive discussions together since the Chancellor’s visits to Washington.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves reportedly clashed with Scott Bessent during IMF meetings in Washington last month. The official photo did not betray the tensions
Ms Reeves gave a very clear description of her conversations with Mr Bessent
“I think there’s a reading from the U.S. Treasury Department that has made clear the productive nature of their relationship.”
Mrs. Reeves did that publicly criticized the US-led war against Iran before crossing the Atlantic for the IMF sessions.
That apparently prompted the US Treasury Secretary, Mr Bessent, to berate her on the sidelines of the meeting.
Ms Reeves responded that she did not work for the US government and complained about the way he had spoken to her.
She then reiterated her position that the US lacked clear goals in entering the conflict and was not making the world a safer place, the FT said.
Mrs Reeves had described the war as a “folly” and said: “This is a war we did not start. It was a war we did not want.
“I feel very frustrated and angry that the US entered this war without a clear exit plan, without a clear idea of what they were trying to achieve.”
Ms Reeves had publicly criticized Trump’s war on Iran before crossing the Atlantic for the IMF sessions