Trump Warns UK Not to Give up Diego Garcia

WSHINGTON:
US President Donald Trump has publicly urged British Prime Minister Keir Starmer not to proceed with what he described as a “100-Year Lease” arrangement with Mauritius involving Diego Garcia, the strategic Indian Ocean island that hosts a key joint US–UK military base.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said, “Leases are no good when it comes to Countries,” and warned that Starmer was “making a big mistake by entering a 100 Year Lease with whoever it is that is ‘claiming’ Right, Title, and Interest to Diego Garcia.”

“Our relationship with the United Kingdom is a strong and powerful one, and it has been for many years,” Trump wrote. But he added that the British leader was “losing control of this important island by claims of entities never known of before. In our opinion, they are fictitious in nature.”

Linking the island directly to regional security, Trump said: “Should Iran decide not to make a Deal, 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 — An attack that would potentially be made on the United Kingdom, as well as other friendly Countries.”

He cautioned that “Prime Minister Starmer should not lose control, for any reason, of Diego Garcia, by entering a tenuous, at best, 100 Year Lease,” and added: “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.” He ended with a blunt appeal: “DO NOT GIVE AWAY DIEGO GARCIA!”

The remarks come a day after the State Department confirmed that the United States and Mauritius will hold bilateral discussions in Port Louis from February 23–25. The talks will be led by the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, with participation from across the US interagency.

The department said the discussions “underscore the continued importance of the Chagos archipelago and the joint US–UK base on Diego Garcia to our national security.” It said the meetings would focus on “bilateral security cooperation and effective implementation of security arrangements for the base to ensure its long-term, secure operation.”

The United States also stated that it “supports the decision of the United Kingdom to proceed with its agreement with Mauritius concerning the Chagos archipelago.”

It reiterated its desire “to conclude a bilateral agreement with the United Kingdom to guarantee continued use of basing and other facilities in the Chagos archipelago to advance US national security, as well as security and stability across the Indian Ocean.”

At her daily press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked whether Trump’s post suggested a change in US policy after the State Department indicated support for the UK’s move.

“The post should be taken as the policy of the Trump administration,” Leavitt said. “It’s coming straight from the horse’s mouth. When you see it on Truth Social, you know it’s directly from President Trump. That’s the beauty of this president in his transparency and — and relaying this administration’s policies to all of you and to the rest of the world.”

The Chagos archipelago, including Diego Garcia, has been the subject of a long-running sovereignty dispute between the United Kingdom and Mauritius. Diego Garcia hosts a major joint military facility that has supported US operations in the Middle East and across the Indo-Pacific.

Its location in the central Indian Ocean gives it strategic value for power projection, maritime security, and regional deterrence — issues closely tracked in New Delhi as India deepens its engagement in the Indo-Pacific and monitors shifts in US–UK–Mauritius arrangements affecting the region.