In brief
White House considering buying Chagos Islands from Mauritius directly, circumventing the UK, to control Diego Garcia base.
Britain paused its 2025 agreement to transfer sovereignty to Mauritius after President Trump called it a 'big mistake'.
Base enables long-range operations toward Iran and Indo-Pacific; Iran attacked it in March, and US fears Chinese influence if Mauritius gains control.
Mauritius government states it has not been approached and insists sovereignty is non-negotiable.
- 15 MarIran launches ballistic missiles at Diego Garcia, base undamaged
- 1 AprUK puts sovereignty handover on hold
- 7 JunTelegraph reports US considering buying Chagos from Mauritius
A stalled handover
In May 2025, the UK government signed a deal to cede sovereignty of the Chagos archipelago to Mauritius while retaining a 99-year lease on Diego Garcia, a joint US-UK base. Washington, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, initially called the agreement a "monumental achievement". But in early 2026, President Donald Trump reversed course, calling it a "big mistake" on Truth Social. After talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Britain put the deal on hold in April.
The buy option
On Sunday, the Telegraph reported that the White House is drafting a plan to purchase the islands directly from Mauritius, bypassing the UK entirely. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly backs the idea. One source told the paper that direct negotiations would begin once sovereignty is transferred to Mauritius. The White House has not commented, and the UK Foreign Office did not respond to requests.
Why Diego Garcia matters
Diego Garcia sits roughly 3,800 kilometres from Iran and is vital for US and British military operations in the Middle East and Indo-Pacific. It can stage long-range bomber missions and houses sensitive facilities.
“There are important and highly classified facilities on the base.”
Mauritius pushes back
On Monday, Mauritius said it had received no official proposal from the US. A government statement declared:
“Mauritius’s sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago is non-negotiable.”
Human cost
The dispute echoes decades-old grievances. Between the 1960s and 1970s, Britain forcibly displaced up to 2,000 indigenous Chagossians to make way for the base. Louis Olivier Bancoult, a Chagossian leader, has accused British authorities of ignoring the community’s interests and reiterated their right to return.