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.
Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton has warned against rushing to develop artificial superintelligence, arguing that scientists still do not know how to...
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Wednesday they attacked two U.S. vessels and eight oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, calling the st...
Four people were killed, including a child, in Ukrainian strikes on the Russian port city of Novorossiysk overn...
Four people were killed, including a child, in Ukrainian strikes on the Russian port city of Novorossiysk overnight, according to the governor of the Krasnodar region. Ukraine's drone forces commander, Robert Brovdi, said Russian military ships were destroyed in the attacks.
A TV channel was struck during a live broadcast on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as Russian strikes on Kyiv killed at least three people, the city's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Meanwhile, drones hit civilian infrastructure in Russia's southwestern Saratov region.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) allegedly launched two ballistic missile attacks against a U.S. Navy warship over the past two days.
U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday on efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Indonesia has reopened Jakarta's main airport and four others after volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau forced widespread flight cancellations, though fresh eruptions have kept authorities on alert.
Four people were killed, including a child, in Ukrainian strikes on the Russian port city of Novorossiysk overnight, according to the governor of the Krasnodar region. Ukraine's drone forces commander, Robert Brovdi, said Russian military ships were destroyed in the attacks.
Foreign direct investment in Georgia fell sharply in the second quarter of 2026, while China surged to become the country’s largest investor, highlighting Tbilisi’s deepening economic ties with Beijing as relations with the West remain strained.
North Korea has built a new uranium enrichment facility at its Yongbyon nuclear complex in the northwest of the country and begun operating an expanded site at Kangson, near the capital Pyongyang, the United Nation’s nuclear watchdog has said.
Israel has ordered the closure of the British consulate in East Jerusalem and banned 12 British nationals from entering the country, escalating a diplomatic row with London over Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 9th of September, covering the latest developments.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment