US President Donald Trump has asked the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer not to hand over Diego Garcia to Mauritius amid a possibility of military confrontation between Washington and Tehran over a nuclear deal. According to a 2025 agreement, the UK is set to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while maintaining the US-UK military base in Diego Garcia on a 99-year lease.
Trump called handing over the Chagos Islands and taking the military base on a lease a big mistake. He said that the US might use Diego Garcia to eradicate a potential attack by Iran in case it does not agree to a nuclear deal following the talks in Geneva. The US President said that Washington is ready to fight for a NATO ally, the UK, when needed, asking London to be strong to face challenges before them.
Mauritius gained independence in 1968 from British rule, while Diego Garcia remained a colony. Following the 2019 ruling by the International Court of Justice and the building international pressure, the UK signed an agreement with Mauritius in 2025 to return the Chagos Islands while keeping the Diego Garcia military base on a 99-year lease.
Diego Garcia is a small, remote atoll in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The US and the UK jointly operate a major military base there under a long-standing agreement. Because of its isolated location, it serves as a key staging point for operations across a huge area, including the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, and parts of Asia.
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