UK Reviews Chagos Islands Deal After Trump's Criticism

The United Kingdom is reassessing a deal to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, following recent strong criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting confirmed the review, stating that the agreement must be re-examined because the United States does not currently support it.

Trump voiced his disapproval of the deal at the UN General Assembly, calling it "terrible." Streeting indicated that the U.S. President's stance has not changed and that the current draft of the agreement is not acceptable to the Trump administration. "So we have to do more work with our American allies, with President Trump and his administration, to get the deal to a place where we can support it," Streeting told BBC Breakfast.

The original agreement, negotiated under Sir Keir Starmer, would have seen the UK cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, also known as the British Indian Ocean Territory, to Mauritius. In exchange, the UK would lease back a joint UK-U.S. military base on the islands, paying approximately £101 million ($136 million) annually. This territory is considered strategically important due to its location in the Indian Ocean.

The deal was previously paused indefinitely in April after Trump withdrew his support, a move that has now prompted the current review by the UK government.