UK pauses Chagos Islands handover after US opposition

The United Kingdom has paused its plan to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius following opposition from the United States, in a move that underscores tensions over the future of a key joint military base.

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the government would not advance legislation underpinning the agreement in its next parliamentary agenda, according to UK media reports.

The deal would have transferred sovereignty to Mauritius while maintaining long-term Western military access to the strategically important base on Diego Garcia.

The island of Diego Garcia hosts a major US-UK military facility that has long been central to operations in the Indian Ocean and wider Indo-Pacific region.

US President Donald Trump has criticised the arrangement, saying in February that the deal was a “big mistake”, having previously said it was the best that Starmer would get.

Under the proposed agreement, Britain would retain operational control of the Diego Garcia base through a 99-year lease, designed to preserve US military operations there. However, the plan has required Washington’s formal backing to proceed.

A UK government spokesperson said securing US approval remained essential.

“We continue to believe the agreement is the best way to protect the long-term future of the base, but we have always said we would only proceed with the deal if it has U.S. support. We are continuing to engage with the U.S. and Mauritius,” the spokesperson said.

The US-UK alliance has come under strain in recent weeks amid disagreements over Britain’s role in the U.S.-Israeli conflict involving Iran, including restrictions on the use of British bases for offensive operations.

Trump has also repeatedly criticised the British leader, saying he was “not Winston Churchill” and had damaged what is often referred to as the “special relationship” between London and Washington.

By Aghakazim Guliyev