Donald Trump has changed his position on the Chagos Islands deal after the UK refused to allow US airbases to be used for a pre-emptive strike on Iran, according to UK government sources. The US president previously backed the agreement, which would transfer sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius while maintaining joint UK-US use of the Diego Garcia airbase.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump linked the Chagos deal explicitly to potential military action against Iran, stating that Diego Garcia and RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire might be necessary to 'eradicate a potential attack' by Tehran. The post came after earlier reports suggested Trump had softened his opposition to the deal in February, calling it the 'best' option available to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
UK officials believe Trump’s reversal stems from the government’s refusal to permit US use of Diego Garcia for strikes against Iran, which would likely contravene international law. Under existing arrangements, US bases in the UK and British Overseas Territories are only used for operations with UK consent and legal approval.
Downing Street confirmed that Starmer and Trump discussed Iran during a phone call on Tuesday evening, but the official readout made no mention of the Chagos plan. The government remains hopeful that Trump will change his mind again, but the bill to enact the deal, which is progressing through Parliament, has been delayed and may not pass before the end of the current session in May.
Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel, who is scheduled to give a speech in Washington DC next week, described the deal as 'dead in the water', adding that Labour will soon run out of parliamentary time. A government spokesperson said the UK supports the political process between the US and Iran and emphasised that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon.
