Trump Urges UK to Abandon Chagos Islands Deal

U.S. President Donald Trump publicly urged British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday to abandon a planned agreement transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, warning that the strategic military base on Diego Garcia could be essential for potential operations against Iran. The comments, posted on Trump's Truth Social platform, came a day after the U.S. State Department expressed support for the deal, highlighting internal tensions within the Trump administration.

In the post, Trump described the arrangement as a major error, stating that leases are unreliable for nations and that Starmer was relinquishing control of the Indian Ocean island to unspecified entities with dubious claims. He emphasized the base's importance, writing, "Should Iran decide not to make a Deal, it may be necessary for the United States to use Diego Garcia, and the Airfield located in Fairford, in order to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous Regime" that could target the United Kingdom and other allies. Trump added that the U.S. remains committed to defending Britain but called on Starmer to resist external pressures.

The agreement, reached earlier this...