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US President Donald Trump has renewed his attack on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s plan to transfer ownership of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, as he highlighted the potential use of the Diego Garcia military base in any strikes on Iran.
Trump and his administration have whipsawed between criticism and support for the UK government’s deal to hand over sovereignty of the islands, where the joint US-UK military base is located.
Diego Garcia is a key strategic atoll for the US military in the Indo-Pacific region, with a deepwater port that can accommodate aircraft carriers and the runways necessary to launch warplanes such as stealth B-2 bombers. It is also important for surveillance and intelligence gathering.
Trump is considering taking military action against Iran as the US tries to strike a deal with Tehran that would curb its nuclear programme.
“I have been telling Prime Minister Keir Starmer . . . that he is making a big mistake by entering a 100 Year Lease with whoever it is that is ‘claiming’ Right, Title, and Interest to Diego Garcia”, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Wednesday, adding that Starmer is “losing control” of the strategically located base.
“Should Iran decide not to make a Deal, it may be necessary for the United States to use Diego Garcia . . . in order to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous Regime — An attack that would potentially be made on the United Kingdom, as well as other friendly Countries,” Trump said.
He added: “DO NOT GIVE AWAY DIEGO GARCIA!”
The US is set to hold bilateral talks with Mauritius next week that will focus on security arrangements and co-operation for the Diego Garcia base, the state department announced on Wednesday.
The department also said the US “supports the decision of the United Kingdom to proceed with its agreement with Mauritius concerning the Chagos archipelago”.
Asked about the conflicting statements by the state department and Trump on Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president’s “post should be taken as the policy of the Trump administration. It’s coming straight from the horse’s mouth”.