Trump rebukes UK over Chagos Islands handover despite US backing

Donald Trump has sharply criticised the United Kingdom’s decision to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, despite his administration having formally endorsed the agreement only a day earlier, the Al Jazeera reported.

In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer not to proceed with what he described as a flawed arrangement. “DO NOT GIVE AWAY DIEGO GARCIA!” he wrote, referring to the strategically important island that hosts a joint UK–US military base.

Al Jazeera reported that Trump argued that entering into a long-term lease arrangement risked undermining Western security interests. He said he had warned Sir Keir that “leases are no good when it comes to countries” and described the proposed 100-year lease as a mistake. He also questioned the legitimacy of parties asserting rights over the territory, calling some claims “fictitious in nature”.

The Chagos archipelago, located in the Indian Ocean, was administered as part of Mauritius under French rule before Britain assumed control in the early 19th century. The UK detached the islands from Mauritius ahead of the latter’s independence in 1968 and subsequently removed up to 2,000 Chagossians to establish the military base on Diego Garcia.

In 2019, the International Court of Justice concluded that the UK should end its administration of the islands, a position later reinforced by a United Nations resolution calling for their return within six months. Under the new agreement, Britain will transfer sovereignty to Mauritius while retaining a 99-year lease on Diego Garcia, with an option to extend. The arrangement is expected to cost approximately £100 million annually.

A spokesperson for the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office defended the agreement, describing it as essential to safeguarding Britain and its allies. The spokesperson said the deal was the only viable means of securing the long-term future of the base.

Although Washington expressed support for the agreement this week, Trump’s stance has fluctuated in recent months. Last year, the US gave its initial approval, but in January he labelled the arrangement “an act of great stupidity”. Earlier this month, he acknowledged that it might be the best outcome available to the British government, while reserving the right to ensure the base’s security if necessary.

On Tuesday, the United States Department of State formally endorsed the deal and announced forthcoming talks with Mauritius.

In his latest remarks, Trump warned that Diego Garcia could prove critical in any future confrontation with Iran, particularly if negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear programme were to collapse. He also suggested that US facilities, including the airfield at RAF Fairford in England, might be required in such a scenario.

Diego Garcia has long served as a strategic hub for American and British operations in the region, including missions in Afghanistan in 2001 and strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in recent years.

The agreement has also drawn criticism from some members of the displaced Chagossian community, who accuse Mauritius of neglecting their interests — a claim the Mauritian government denies.