UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting confirmed Wednesday that Britain is "reviewing" its Chagos Islands agreement with Mauritius. He cited the United States' lack of support as the primary driver for the decision. This comes one day after President Donald Trump labeled the deal "terrible" during his first in-person meeting with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham in New York City.
Streeting told the BBC that Trump's comments provided "absolute clarity" on the American position. "What President Trump said yesterday wasn't new, but I think it does provide absolute clarity that his position on this Chagos deal as currently drafted is not changing," Streeting stated. The focus now shifts to working with the US administration to reshape the agreement. The goal is securing "long-term certainty" for the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, the archipelago's largest island.
The original pact, signed in May 2025, would have transferred sovereignty to Mauritius. In exchange, the UK would lease back the Diego Garcia base for 99 years at an average annual cost of £101 million ($136 million). Trump initially approved the deal but reversed course in January, leading to the pause. The original plan faced severe domestic backlash, with critics warning the inflation-adjusted cost could reach £35 billion and arguing it risked Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean.
Mauritius maintains it was "illegally" stripped of the Chagos Islands in 1965 as a condition for independence from Britain. A final draft to transfer sovereignty never passed the UK Parliament, where former Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced intense scrutiny. The current review seeks to bridge the gap between UK-Mauritius relations and the strategic requirements of the US alliance.
Negotiations to amend the deal will proceed as the UK works to align the terms with Washington's security interests. No specific timeline for a revised agreement has been announced.