Donald Trump has urged Sir Keir Starmer not to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, saying that doing so would be a “big mistake” and a “blight” on Britain as an ally.
“DO NOT GIVE AWAY DIEGO GARCIA!” Trump wrote in a post on TruthSocial, adding that the base could be called upon in any future military operation to “eradicate a potential attack” from Iran.
His comments came a day after the US said it approved of the deal.
Under a 2025 agreement, Britain will transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while retaining control of the strategically important Diego Garcia base under a 99-year lease.
The plans would see the UK lease the base on Diego Garcia from Mauritius at a cost of £35bn over the next century.
On Tuesday, the US State Department said it “supports the decision of the United Kingdom to proceed with its agreement with Mauritius concerning the Chagos archipelago”.
But on Wednesday Trump said leases were “no good”.
“Prime Minister Starmer should not lose control, for any reason, of Diego Garcia, by entering a tenuous, at best, 100 Year Lease,” he wrote.
“This land should not be taken away from the UK and, if it is allowed to be, it will be a blight on our Great Ally.
“We will always be ready, willing, and able to fight for the UK, but they have to remain strong in the face of Wokeism, and other problems put before them. Do not give away Diego Garcia.”
Trump also claimed the Prime Minister was “losing control of this important Island by claims of entities never known of before”.
His latest outburst comes amid major US military buildup near Iran, as Trump contemplates use of force, with a second aircraft carrier group en route.
“The president has ordered the continued buildup in the region, including the arrival of the second carrier group. Full forces should be in place by mid-March,” a senior US official told Reuters.
Reports suggest a US strike on Iran could come in weeks or even days, with CNN reporting the military is prepared to strike as early as this weekend.
The Telegraph, citing sources in the US administration, said there was a 90 per cent chance of war in the coming weeks.
The Chagos Islands are in the Indian Ocean, halfway between Africa and Indonesia and crucial for US and UK global presence (Photo: Pictures From History/Universal)The Chagos Islands have been the subject of a decades-long sovereignty dispute after they were not granted independence along with the rest of Mauritius in 1965.
The Chagossian population was subsequently expelled from the archipelago to make way for the base, and have staged a long-running campaign for the right to return.
Trump’s post is the latest change in his position on the Chagos deal.
Earlier in February, he had backed the proposals, saying Sir Keir’s deal was “the best he could make”.
That statement came a week after he had described the deal as “an act of great stupidity” amid the row over his attempts to annex Greenland, despite his administration previously backing the agreement.
Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said the president’s outburst was “an utter humiliation” for Starmer.
She said: “It’s time Starmer finally saw sense, U-turned and scrapped this appalling deal altogether.”
The Government says the future of the base has been threatened by recent international court decisions.
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “The deal to secure the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia is crucial to the security of the UK and our key allies, and to keeping the British people safe.
“The agreement we have reached is the only way to guarantee the long-term future of this vital military base.”
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