US President Donald Trump said the UK was making a “big mistake” with its proposed deal to turn over control of the Chagos Islands, just weeks after saying the agreement was the “best” arrangement UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer could make.
“Prime Minister Starmer should not lose control, for any reason, of Diego Garcia, by entering a tenuous, at best, 100 Year Lease,” Trump said in a social media post on Wednesday.
“This land should not be taken away from the U.K. and, if it is allowed to be, it...
Analysis & Context
US President Donald Trump said the UK was making a “big mistake” with its proposed deal to turn over control of the Chagos Islands, just weeks after saying the agreement was the “best” arrangement UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer could make.
“Prime Minister Starmer should not lose control, for any reason, of Diego Garcia, by entering a tenuous, at best, 100 Year Lease,” Trump said in a social media post on Wednesday.
“This land should not be taken away from the U.K. and, if it is allowed to be, it... This article provides comprehensive coverage and analysis of current events.
US President Donald Trump said the UK was making a “big mistake” with its proposed deal to turn over control of the Chagos Islands, just weeks after saying the agreement was the “best” arrangement UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer could make.
“Prime Minister Starmer should not lose control, for any reason, of Diego Garcia, by entering a tenuous, at best, 100 Year Lease,” Trump said in a social media post on Wednesday.
“This land should not be taken away from the U.K. and, if it is allowed to be, it...
AdvertisementDonald TrumpWorldUnited States & CanadaTrump flip-flops again, saying UK’s Chagos deal would be ‘big mistake’The US president had said only weeks ago that the agreement on the Diego Garcia military base was the ‘best’ UK PM Starmer could makeReading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPBloombergPublished: 4:19am, 19 Feb 2026US President Donald Trump said the UK was making a “big mistake” with its proposed deal to turn over control of the Chagos Islands, just weeks after saying the agreement was the “best” arrangement UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer could make.“Prime Minister Starmer should not lose control, for any reason, of Diego Garcia, by entering a tenuous, at best, 100 Year Lease,” Trump said in a social media post on Wednesday.“This land should not be taken away from the U.K. and, if it is allowed to be, it will be a blight on our Great Ally.”AdvertisementTrump argued that the military base at Diego Garcia on the islands in the Indian Ocean could play a critical role in a hypothetical US attack on Iran, and that any restrictions on the military could leave the UK vulnerable to attack by the Islamic Republic.Trump dismissed claims by Mauritius to the island as, in his opinion, “fictitious in nature”.A US Air Force B-1B bomber takes off from the Diego Garcia military base on a strike mission in Afghanistan in October 2001. Photo: US Department of Defence via AFPThe comments marked the latest pivot by Trump on the issue, which has roiled efforts within the UK to proceed with the plan. The Chagos Islands and the Diego Garcia base are almost 3,200km (2,000 miles) from the coast of East Africa.AdvertisementSelect VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x
