UK Reconsiders Chagos Islands Deal After Trump Opposition
The UK is reviewing its agreement to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after US President Donald Trump again criticised the deal. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting confirmed that the agreement is being reconsidered, saying the government needs to work with the US administration to reach an arrangement that Washington can support.
Trump described the agreement as a “terrible deal” during the UN General Assembly in New York, saying the UK would be “looking” at it again.
Streeting told BBC Breakfast that Trump’s latest comments made clear that the US position on the agreement had not changed.
“We have to do more work with our American allies, with President Trump and his administration, to get the deal to a place where he can support it.”
Why the Chagos Islands matter
At the heart of the dispute is Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos archipelago and the site of a strategically important joint UK-US military base.
Under the original agreement, the UK would transfer sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius while leasing Diego Garcia back for military use for 99 years.
The deal was valued at about £3.4bn, with the UK expected to pay an average of around £101m a year for access to the base.
The government says securing the base’s long-term future is now its priority.
Streeting said successive UK governments had been concerned that the unresolved legal dispute over sovereignty could eventually threaten the security and operation of the facility.
Why the deal has been delayed
The UK and Mauritius signed the agreement in May 2025, but the legislation required to transfer sovereignty had not yet passed through Parliament.
The deal was subsequently paused indefinitely in April after Trump withdrew his support.
Mauritius argues that Britain illegally forced it to give up the Chagos Islands in 1965, shortly before Mauritian independence. The dispute has remained a long-running source of tension between the two countries.
Critics of the proposed agreement have also questioned its cost. While the government put the figure at £3.4bn, opponents argued that the eventual cost could be considerably higher once inflation and the full length of the lease were taken into account.
There have also been concerns about China gaining a strategic foothold in the region. However, the UK government has maintained that the agreement is intended to protect the future of the Diego Garcia base.
Trump renews his criticism.
Trump has repeatedly criticised the agreement, previously describing it as a “blight on our great ally” and an “act of total weakness”.
During his meeting with Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the UN General Assembly, Trump again attacked the deal.
Burnham responded that the UK had “inherited the situation” and needed to find a resolution.
“It’s critical to safeguard the future of the base, and that matters to us for security reasons, but also clearly to the United States as well.”
He added that the UK would work with the parties to resolve the dispute.
Before travelling to New York, Burnham also spoke with Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam. According to an official readout, Burnham reaffirmed his commitment to doing everything possible, alongside the US, to secure an agreement that could ultimately be ratified.
Political opposition
The renewed review has also drawn criticism from opposition parties.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called on the government to “just scrap this terrible deal”.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage went further, saying: “The Chagos deal is dead. Thank God.”
For now, however, the government has not formally abandoned the agreement. Instead, it says it will continue discussions with Mauritius and the United States, with the future of the Diego Garcia military base remaining the central issue.