Trump Backs Chagos Handover, Reserves Right on Diego Garcia
Trump endorsed the Chagos sovereignty handover while saying the U.S. retains the right to "militarily secure" Diego Garcia, he wrote on Truth Social.
Overview
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that he supports Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Chagos sovereignty handover to Mauritius while reserving the right to "militarily secure and reinforce" U.S. operations on Diego Garcia.
The agreement, announced last May, returns sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while preserving a 99-year lease for Diego Garcia to continue a joint U.S.-U.K. military base, officials said.
Warren Stephens, the U.S. ambassador to the UK, called the deal "the best deal on the table," even as Trump last month described the handover as an "act of GREAT STUPIDITY," marking conflicting U.S. statements.
Britain forcibly evicted nearly 2,000 Chagossians in the 1960s and 1970s to make way for the Diego Garcia base, which U.S. forces have used in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, historical records show.
Downing Street said leaders will "continue working closely" on implementation and speak again soon, while opposition politician Priti Patel vowed to fight the deal and Trump warned of military action if the lease fails.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present this story without strong editorial framing, giving space to direct source content (Trump's 'act of GREAT STUPIDITY') and contrasting official reassurances (ambassador Stephens, Downing Street). They emphasize the factual sequence—announcement, Trump’s reversal, diplomatic response—using limited evaluative language and quoting principal actors rather than adopting a partisan narrative.
Sources (3)
FAQ
The 2025 agreement transfers sovereignty of the entire Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, to Mauritius, while granting the UK a 99-year lease to maintain the joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia.[1]
Diego Garcia is the main island in the Chagos Archipelago hosting a strategic US-UK military base used in conflicts like Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.[1]
In the 1960s and 1970s, Britain forcibly evicted nearly 2,000 Chagossians from the islands to establish the Diego Garcia base, with compensation provided later.
Trump endorsed the handover to Mauritius on Truth Social but reserved the US right to militarily secure Diego Garcia, despite previously calling it an 'act of GREAT STUPIDITY'.[Story]
US Ambassador Warren Stephens called it 'the best deal on the table'; UK opposition leader Priti Patel vows to fight it; Downing Street plans close work on implementation.[Story][3]
History
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