Britain’s plan to transfer the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, which host a strategic U.K.-U.S. military base, has been put on indefinite hold after the Trump administration withdrew its support.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office said London would try to persuade Washington to give its formal approval.
U.S. President Donald Trump described the deal in February as a “big mistake,” despite previously calling it the best outcome available to Starmer.
Under the deal, Britain would retain control of the strategically important military base on Diego Garcia on a 99-year lease that preserves U.S. operations there.
A British government spokesperson said ensuring the long-term operational security of Diego Garcia would remain a priority.
"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.
UK- U.S. relations strained
The alliance between Washington and London has come under strain in recent weeks over Starmer's reluctance to get involved in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and his refusal at the start of the conflict to allow Trump to use British air bases to launch attacks.
U.S. forces have since been permitted to carry out what the prime minister calls defensive strikes.
Trump has also repeatedly criticised the British leader, saying he was 'not Winston Churchill' and had ruined what is often called a "special relationship" between Britain and the U.S.
Mauritius Attorney General Gavin Glover told local media on Saturday that the UK and the U.S. would need to find "common ground" to reach an agreement.
"The information that the agreement has been put on hold does not come as a surprise to us," Glover added.
"The deterioration in relations between Keir Starmer and Donald Trump is at the root of the problem, as the United Kingdom needs the United States to be aligned with the treaty."
Glover said that the country will hold discussions with Britain later this month in Mauritius.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 5th of August, covering the latest developments.
U.S. President Donald Trump said there was an "all-day negotiation" on Tuesday with Iran, characterising the talks positively while also threatening to hit Iran "really hard" if a deal was not reached.
Tehran had made plans to strike sites in Ukraine after Kyiv attacked an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea, a senior Iranian military adviser has said. Iran refrained from taking action after Kyiv said the strike was a mistake, Mohsen Rezaei told the state IRIB TV channel.
U.S. data analytics firm Palantir Technologies has reported a 93 per cent year-on-year jump in second-quarter revenue, even as the company faces continued criticism over its work with Israel's military and allegations linking its technology to the war in Gaza.a.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed the country's ambassadors to Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and several other countries. The removals came after a speech on Monday in which he said embassies would be judged on their effectiveness in securing weapons for Ukraine.
Firefighters battling a cluster of wildfires near Spokane, Washington, have established primary containment lines around the blazes, but crews are racing to strengthen defences ahead of another spell of hot and dry weather.
FIFA has reaffirmed its support for President Gianni Infantino after a crisis meeting in Morocco over scrapped plans to sell a stake in World Cup commercial rights, while apologising to members over mistakes in handling the process.
New Mexico has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice, accusing the federal agency of withholding unredacted files linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and obstructing its renewed criminal investigation.
The Democratic Party's progressive wing has claimed a significant political victory after Abdul El-Sayed narrowly won Michigan's Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate, setting up a closely watched contest against Republican Mike Rogers in November.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he no longer has confidence in FIFA President Gianni Infantino, as pressure mounts over the handling of a controversial proposal to sell the commercial rights to the men's World Cup.
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