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The UK government signalled reluctance about allowing the US to use British bases to launch strikes against Iran before Donald Trump lashed out at London’s deal to cede ownership of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
People familiar with the matter told the FT that the US president’s intervention on Wednesday came after the British government had expressed misgivings about allowing Washington to use facilities on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia and at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.
The US has recently moved military assets towards the Middle East amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran, after Trump ordered one of the biggest build-ups in the area since the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq.
The US president on Wednesday renewed his attack on the agreement governing the future of the Chagos Archipelago, describing it as a “big mistake” that would result in Britain “losing control” of the territory, which hosts a crucial UK-US military base on Diego Garcia.
He added: “Should Iran decide not to make a Deal [over its nuclear programme], 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.”
Diego Garcia, which lies around 5,200km from Tehran, is a possible launching point for any attack given its proximity to Iran and its long runways. Other US Air Force aircraft and personnel are based at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.
British officials say that the US must consult the UK on the use of these bases for any action that goes beyond day-to-day military activities.
Trump’s attack on the Chagos Islands deal marks the US president’s latest U-turn on the agreement, in which Britain would hand sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius. The UK would lease back Diego Garcia for 99 years for £3.4bn.
Trump had first signed off on the matter last April, before blindsiding London with a message on his Truth Social platform in January in which he criticised the agreement as an “act of stupidity” and “total weakness” by the UK.
He later U-turned again on the issue and appeared to endorse the deal.
On Tuesday, Trump and Sir Keir Starmer spoke by phone, discussing “the ongoing talks between the US and Iran taking place in Geneva over Iran’s nuclear programme”, according to a No 10 readout of the call. The Chagos Islands did not come up in the call, according to the statement.
The UK Foreign Office said on Wednesday that the agreement over the Chagos islands was “the only way to guarantee the long-term future of this vital military base”.
Legislation that would enshrine the UK’s agreement on the Chagos Islands with Mauritius into British law has stalled in the House of Lords following an intervention by the Conservatives, who oppose the deal, last month.
On Thursday, a minister insisted the bill would return to the House of Lords as soon as the parliamentary timetable allowed.
Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones highlighted Trump’s previous support for the agreement and told Times Radio: “This deal is essential and crucial for the national security of the United Kingdom and that is the first priority of any government.”
However, another official said privately that the UK would need to reflect on how best to proceed in light of Trump’s latest salvo against the agreement.
The White House did not immediately respond to request for comment.