The future of the Chagos Islands, which house a crucial U.K.-American military base, has become uncertain following a shift in U.S. policy. Originally, Britain planned to transfer the islands to Mauritius, but this process is now stalled as the Trump administration has retracted its support.
On Saturday, the British government conceded that the legislative process to finalize the islands’ transfer has hit a roadblock due to time constraints in Parliament. This development is linked to the deteriorating relations between the Trump administration and Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government.
President Trump had initially supported the agreement but reversed his stance in January, condemning the sovereignty transfer in a social media post as “an act of GREAT STUPIDITY.” Consequently, the U.K. has paused the bill’s advancement, and it is unlikely to be revisited in the upcoming session of Parliament starting May 13, as announced by King Charles III.
The strategic military base in focus
Diego Garcia, part of the Chagos Archipelago, has been a pivotal military base under British control since 1814. It has supported numerous U.S. military operations, including those in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and has served as a base for American bombers during the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.
Prime Minister Starmer initially restricted U.S. military access to British bases for Iranian operations but later allowed the use of Diego Garcia and British bases for targeting Iran’s missile sites, excluding other targets. President Trump criticized NATO allies for their lack of support in the conflict and derided Starmer as “not Winston Churchill.”
The agreement between the U.K. and Mauritius, reached after extensive negotiations, would allow Britain to lease back Diego Garcia for a minimum of 99 years. The U.K. government argues this deal safeguards the base from international legal challenges, especially following calls from the United Nations and its top court for Britain to return the islands to Mauritius.
Some British political parties, including the opposition Conservative Party and Reform U.K., oppose the deal, fearing that relinquishing the islands could expose them to geopolitical threats from China and Russia. These parties have influenced the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw support.
The history of Diego Garcia is marked by the displacement of islanders during the 1960s and 1970s to make room for military infrastructure. These displaced Chagossians, numbering around 10,000, mainly reside in Britain, Mauritius, and the Seychelles today. Efforts to secure their right to return have not succeeded in U.K. courts, and there is concern that the deal with Mauritius could further complicate their hopes of returning home.
