UK Bows to U.S. Pressure as it Halts Chagos Transfer to Mauritius

The United Kingdom has paused legislation to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after opposition from U.S. President Donald Trump, shaping the outcome of a deal centered on the Diego Garcia military base.

A UK government spokesperson said the deal would only proceed with U.S. backing, following reports the bill had been dropped from the parliamentary agenda beginning May 13. The plan, first announced in May 2025, would transfer control of more than 60 islands located about 2,000 km from Mauritius.

At the core of the dispute is Diego Garcia, a critical U.S.-UK military facility in the Indian Ocean. The agreement envisioned a 99-year lease allowing continued operations, with an estimated cost of around £9 billion to the UK.

Trump strongly opposed the plan back in January 2026, stating: “The UK giving away extremely important land is an act of great stupidity.” He added that such a move would signal weakness to global powers, warning that “China and Russia have noticed.”

British officials defended the proposal as a mechanism to secure long-term operational stability of the base, calling it “the entire reason for the deal.”

Opposition within the UK has also been significant. Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel described the agreement as “a betrayal of our national interest,” while Nigel Farage said back in January that efforts by Trump’s allies had helped “torpedo the terrible deal.”

Farage emphasized the strategic value of the base, stating: “Diego Garcia is the most important American base in the world outside of the American mainland,” and warned of potential foreign intelligence risks.

Mauritius has maintained pressure, with Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful pledging to “spare no effort” to reclaim sovereignty, framing the issue as one of decolonisation. The dispute dates back to Britain’s control of the islands since 1814, including after Mauritian independence in the 1960s.

The International Court of Justice in 2019 recommended the return of the territory, while displaced Chagossians continue to pursue compensation claims.

However, strategic priorities remain dominant, particularly given Diego Garcia’s role in operations across Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

The pause comes amid broader tensions between Washington and London, including disagreements tied to the Iran war and maritime security efforts in the Strait of Hormuz. Former senior diplomat Simon McDonald said U.S. opposition forced the agreement into “the deep freeze.”