A new report reveals the United States is drafting a proposal to purchase the Chagos Islands directly from Mauritius, a strategic move to maintain control of the Diego Garcia military base after the UK's planned sovereignty transfer stalled due to opposition from President Trump and legal concerns.
The United States is exploring the option of directly purchasing the Chagos Islands from Mauritius, according to recent reports. This potential move aims to secure continued American and British access to the key military base on Diego Garcia, bypassing a previously negotiated UK- Mauritius sovereignty transfer that has stalled.
The original agreement, which would have seen Britain hand over the archipelago to Mauritius while retaining a 99-year lease for the Diego Garcia base, was signed in May 2025. However, the UK government subsequently paused the ratification of the deal following intense opposition from the United States and the broader geopolitical disruption caused by the onset of war in Iran.
The Trump administration's position shifted dramatically; while the proposal initially had presidential support, by January President Trump publicly denounced it as an act of great stupidity. Consequently, the handover, which was anticipated to be announced in the King's Speech, has been indefinitely delayed. A US official emphasized the strategic importance of Diego Garcia, stating it is a vital and indispensable installation for US national security due to its location in the Indian Ocean.
The official confirmed the US remains in close discussions with Britain to find a way to preserve the base's operational viability. The UK's decision to pursue ceding sovereignty was driven by legal advice that the ongoing international legal challenges, rooted in UN judgments and an International Court of Justice advisory opinion declaring the separation of Chagos from Mauritius illegal, would eventually render the base inoperable without a resolution.
Defence Secretary John Healey had warned that without the deal, the base could become non-functional within a few years. Facing US disapproval, the Prime Minister has come under domestic pressure to abandon the policy entirely. MPs from across the political spectrum, including Dan Carden and Graham Stringer, have argued the deal is now both financially and militarily unjustifiable and should be dropped to avoid further national embarrassment.
Former senior diplomat Simon McDonald noted the UK's twin goals of complying with international law and strengthening the US relationship were now in conflict due to presidential hostility, forcing a fundamental rethink
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