WASHINGTON — Chancellor Rachel Reeves and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent argued in person over the war in Iran during the International Monetary Fund spring meetings in Washington on April 15. The exchange followed public criticism by Reeves of the U.S. role in the conflict.

On April 14, Reeves said she felt "very frustrated and angry that the US went into this war without a clear exit plan" and called the war a "folly." She made the remarks in an interview with the Mirror. In a separate interview on CNBC, Reeves said the goals of the Iran war had never been clear.

"It's not been clear over the last six weeks what exactly the aim of this conflict is," she said. "I'm not convinced this conflict has made the world a safer place."

During the meeting in Washington the following day, Bessent invoked the threat of an Iranian nuclear attack on Britain while upbraiding the chancellor. "I wonder what the hit to global GDP would be if a nuclear weapon hit London," Bessent said in a BBC interview. Reeves told Bessent that she was not his employee and did not like his tone, according to an account of the exchange.

Downing Street described the relationship between the two officials in positive terms following the meeting. "The chancellor and the US treasury secretary have a good relationship. They have had constructive conversations together since the chancellor's visits to Washington," a Downing Street statement said.