Nearly a year after it promised Mauritius the transfer of the entire Chagos Archipelago, the United Kingdom appears to be backing out amid backlash from US President Donald Trump, who called it a “stupid decision.”
The agreement, originally signed in May 2025, stated that sovereignty over the island would be transferred to the Indian Ocean state of Mauritius, which owns the archipelago, in accordance with the 2019 ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). But the UK would retain control of the largest island, Diego Garcia, by leasing it back for a 99-year term.
Interestingly, the deal received a green light from the Trump administration following months of talks with the US, which holds a military base in Diego Garcia.
However, the 2025 deal immediately sparked controversy, as critics in the US argued that the transfer could weaken Western influence and pave the way for China to gain a stronger foothold in the Indian Ocean Region.
Donald Trump raised the issue earlier this week when he criticized the UK for “great stupidity” in handing over the “strategic” Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
“Shockingly, our ‘brilliant’ NATO Ally, the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia, the site of a vital U.S. Military Base, to Mauritius, and to do so FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER,” he wrote on his Truth Social. “The UK giving away extremely important land is an act of GREAT STUPIDITY, and is another in a very long line of National Security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired,” he added.
UK Prime Minister Starmer withdraws Chagos Islands bill
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pulled legislation that would have transferred the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
The move comes after criticism from Donald Trump and warnings that the bill could violate a 1966 UK–US… pic.twitter.com/2UNhH48uVi
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) January 23, 2026
Reacting to the unprecedented criticism from Trump, Britain hit back, saying its deal to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius “secures” the future of a key US-UK military base on the Indian Ocean archipelago.
“This deal secures the operations of the joint US-UK base on Diego Garcia for generations, with robust provisions for keeping its unique capabilities intact and our adversaries out,” a government spokesperson stated.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has withdrawn his bill on the Chagos Islands amid the backlash. The legislation was planned to be debated on January 26, 2026, but has been postponed amid concerns that it could violate the treaty with the US that upholds the UK’s sovereignty over the archipelago, the report stated.
The objective of passing the legislation is to give the strategically significant Diego Garcia Military Base, which has been used by US and UK forces since it was constructed on the islands in the 1970s, a solid legal foundation for operations.
The UK government argues this preserves US/UK access and security because: the base operations remain unchanged under the lease; Mauritius has committed to security arrangements that prevent interference; and the annual payments to Mauritius would fund the arrangement without disrupting the base.
Nonetheless, the Conservatives have suggested that the planned deal would violate a 1966 UK-US treaty that upholds the UK’s sovereignty over the archipelago by requiring Britain to cede the land and lease it back.
The 1966 deal assumes direct UK sovereignty. Once sovereignty transfers to Mauritius, US rights become derivative (based on a lease from Mauritius via the UK), not rooted in British title.
It is pertinent to note that the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had earlier stated in May (last year) that Washington “welcomes the historic agreement”.
“The Trump Administration determined that this agreement secures the long-term, stable, and effective operation of the joint US-UK military facility at Diego Garcia,” Rubio said in a statement at the time.
This means that the Trump administration has taken a complete U-turn in less than a year.
The unprecedented policy turnaround has been condemned by the British government as “irresponsible and reckless behaviour,” calling it unnecessary interference in internal affairs.
The Controversy Surrounding Chagos
The Chagos Islands, once considered remote and desolate, have become a geopolitical flashpoint, as their importance to global security has grown over time due to Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos, which hosts one of the most strategically vital joint UK-US military facilities in the world.
The Chagos Islands are located about 5,800 miles south-east of the UK and 1,250 miles north-east of Mauritius.
The Chagos Islands were first settled by the French in the 18th century, but after the Napoleonic Wars, Britain took control in 1814.
Until the 1960s, the islands were part of the British colony of Mauritius. Mauritius gained independence at that time, but the British chose to divide the Chagos Islands into the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT).
At the heart of this separation was Diego Garcia.
In the early 1960s, the US and the UK began discussing the construction of a military base on Diego Garcia, which lies midway between Asia and Africa. It was eventually determined that it was the perfect site for a forward-deployed military outpost to assist operations in the Middle East.
The indigenous Chagossians, who had inhabited the islands for many centuries, strongly opposed the plan to build a military base. However, over 1,500 Chagossians were forcibly removed from their homes and sent to Mauritius and the Seychelles by the British between 1968 and 1973, as previously explained by the EurAsian Times.
Nestled in the heart of the Indian Ocean, Diego Garcia is situated at the crossroads of critical maritime routes between Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Its proximity to the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil shipping route, further enhances its strategic position.
The base serves as a key logistics hub, supporting naval operations, air missions, and intelligence gathering. Its airfield can handle long-range bombers, and its harbour can accommodate large naval vessels.
It sits roughly in the middle of the Indian Ocean, far from major population centres or potential land-based threats. This isolation provides exceptional security, since it would be very difficult for adversaries to threaten directly with ground-based attacks, short-range missiles, or sabotage.
The island’s airfields are prepared to accommodate bombers and surveillance planes that may be swiftly deployed during emergencies. Additionally, the base plays a crucial role in the US’s global network of intelligence-collection and surveillance facilities.
Diego Garcia has long been a vital asset for the United States and the UK, facilitating a wide range of military activities. For instance, several B-2 stealth bombers deployed to the facility last year as part of a large military buildup amid tensions with Iran and its regional proxies, like the Yemen-based Houthis.
“Strategically nestled in the Indian Ocean, Diego Garcia is more than just a remote military base—it is America’s unsinkable aircraft carrier, a keystone in its Indo-Pacific strategy, and now, the closest dagger pointed toward Iran and Yemen,” wrote Group Captain MJ Augustine Vinod, an Indian Air Force veteran and commentator, in a previous EurAsian Times article.
The base has been repeatedly used by the US and the UK for crucial operations. For instance, during the 1991 Gulf War, the US Air Force launched bombers from this isolated atoll. In the 2003 Iraq invasion, B-1 and B-52 bombers took off from there.
In addition, Diego Garcia helps the US maintain a defensive or offensive posture in the Indian Ocean, deterring attempts to dominate key chokepoints, particularly as China’s presence in the IOR is rapidly expanding and the threat of war with Beijing is never off the table.
This is particularly significant, as China’s naval activities, including the establishment of bases such as the one in Djibouti, have raised concerns among nations about Beijing’s ambitions in the Indian Ocean.
With the threat of another military showdown with Iran on the horizon, Diego Garcia could continue to hog the limelight.
- Contact the author at sakshi.tiwari13 (at) outlook.com
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