Trump Issues Stark Warning to Starmer Over Diego Garcia Control
US President Donald Trump has delivered a forceful public rebuke to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer regarding the controversial Chagos Islands agreement, specifically warning against relinquishing control of the strategic Diego Garcia military base. In a detailed post on his Truth Social platform, Trump declared that Starmer is "making a big mistake" with the current arrangement and emphasized the critical importance of maintaining UK sovereignty over the Indian Ocean territory.
'Fictitious Claims' and Military Necessity
The American leader expressed strong skepticism about the legal foundations of the sovereignty transfer, describing claims supporting the deal as "fictitious in nature" and originating from "entities never known of before." Trump highlighted the military imperative of retaining Diego Garcia, stating that if Iran fails to reach a peace agreement with the United States, the base might become essential for countering potential attacks from what he termed "a highly unstable and dangerous Regime."
He specifically mentioned that such defensive actions could involve utilizing both Diego Garcia and RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire to protect not only the United Kingdom but also other allied nations. The president's comments underscore the continuing geopolitical significance of the Indian Ocean territory amid ongoing international tensions.
The 99-Year Lease Controversy
Central to Trump's criticism is the proposed 99-year lease arrangement through which the UK would maintain access to Diego Garcia while transferring sovereignty of the Chagos archipelago to Mauritius. The US president characterized this as a "tenuous, at best, 100 Year Lease" that risks undermining British control. He warned explicitly that allowing the territory to be "taken away from the U.K." would represent "a blight on our Great Ally."
Trump concluded his social media statement with an emphatic all-caps declaration: "DO NOT GIVE AWAY DIEGO GARCIA!" This dramatic punctuation marks his most direct intervention yet in the ongoing diplomatic dispute between the UK and Mauritius over the islands' future status.
Contradictory US Positions and Domestic Political Fallout
The Trump administration's position appears contradictory, as the US State Department had publicly supported the UK-Mauritius agreement just one day earlier. Official spokespersons reiterated American desires to secure continued military access through bilateral agreements, even while acknowledging sovereignty transfer. This internal inconsistency reflects broader tensions within US foreign policy approaches.
Domestically within the UK, the Chagos Islands issue has escalated into a significant political controversy. The legislation formalizing the sovereignty transfer remains before Parliament, facing opposition from both the Conservative Party and Reform UK. Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel has echoed Trump's criticisms, labeling the agreement "the Chagos Surrender" and demanding its complete abandonment.
Liberal Democrats have called for fresh parliamentary votes on the matter, while the government defends the arrangement as honoring international legal obligations following court rulings against continued UK sovereignty claims. The archipelago, currently a British Overseas Territory, has been subject to prolonged diplomatic negotiations since the UK lost key legal battles over its administration.
Strategic Importance and Historical Context
Diego Garcia hosts a critically important joint UK-US military facility that has served as a key strategic asset for both nations for decades. The base's location in the central Indian Ocean provides unparalleled access to regions of growing geopolitical significance, including the Middle East, South Asia, and Eastern Africa.
The Chagos Islands dispute originates from the UK's separation of the archipelago from Mauritius during the latter's independence process in the 1960s. Subsequent legal challenges have gradually eroded Britain's sovereignty claims, culminating in the current negotiated settlement. However, the military significance of Diego Garcia continues to complicate what might otherwise be a straightforward decolonization process.
Trump's intervention represents his second public commentary on the issue this year, following earlier criticisms in January that labeled the deal "an act of total weakness" and "great stupidity." Interestingly, the president had appeared to soften his position following a February phone conversation with Starmer, briefly expressing support for what he called "the best [Starmer] could make" of the situation. His latest comments mark a return to more confrontational rhetoric.
