Sri Lanka, April 29 -- King Charles III urged the United States on Tuesday to stand firm with its Western allies, as strains over Iran and Ukraine risk undermining transatlantic ties facing their most serious test in years.

In a rare address to Congress, the monarch skirted around tensions between President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, insisting the partnership between the two countries was "born out of dispute, but no less strong for it."

The speech was warmly received, even as he ranged over subjects from climate change and the need for restraints on presidential power to the importance of NATO and the defense of Ukraine -- sensitive issues for those on the Republican side of the aisle.

"The challenges we fac...