LONDON, April 11 - The UK government announced on Saturday that it has put on hold the agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands - the group of islands that includes the strategically important U.S.-British air facility on Diego Garcia - to Mauritius. The Times reported that the legislation intended to underpin the transfer will not be included in the government's next parliamentary agenda, a step that reflects the need for formal U.S. support.
Downing Street indicated that London will press the United States for its formal approval of the arrangement. The proposed settlement would have seen sovereignty ceded to Mauritius while the United Kingdom retained control of the military base on Diego Garcia through a 99-year lease designed to preserve U.S. operations there.
U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly criticised the plan, calling it a "big mistake" in February and earlier suggesting it was the best outcome Prime Minister Keir Starmer could expect. The British government says it has consistently maintained that it will only move forward with the deal if it has U.S. support.
A British government spokesperson reiterated the priority of securing the long-term operational security of Diego Garcia. The spokesperson said: "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 announcement follows a period of visible tension in the transatlantic relationship. The alliance between Washington and London has been under strain in recent weeks amid disagreements over Prime Minister Starmer's stance regarding involvement in the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, and his initial refusal to permit U.S. use of British air bases for strikes. U.S. forces have subsequently been authorised to conduct what the prime minister described as defensive strikes.
President Trump has repeatedly criticised the British leader in public remarks, saying he was "not Winston Churchill" and asserting that Starmer had damaged what is often referred to as the special relationship between the two countries.
Context and next steps
With the legislation removed from the immediate parliamentary timetable, the British government intends to continue diplomatic engagement with both Washington and Port Louis. The status of the Diego Garcia base - and operational arrangements intended to preserve U.S. activity under a long lease - remain central to discussions.
The situation remains fluid, with the UK signalling it will not finalise the sovereignty transfer without U.S. endorsement and with continued engagement planned among the three governments involved.