An aerial view of Diego Garcia. (Photo: VCG)
U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly urged the United Kingdom not to proceed with a lease arrangement over Diego Garcia, criticizing London's plan to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while leasing back the key military base.
Posting on the Truth Social platform on Wednesday, Trump wrote: "I have been telling Prime Minister Keir Starmer, of the United Kingdom, that Leases are no good when it comes to Countries, and that he is making a big mistake by entering a 100 Year Lease..."
He added: "Prime Minister Starmer is losing control of this important Island by claims of entities never known of before."
Trump also stressed that Diego Garcia was "strategically located in the Indian Ocean" and urged London to maintain its position, saying the UK should not give up control of the island.
The U.S. president further said: "We will always be ready, willing, and able to fight for the U.K., but they have to remain strong in the face of Wokeism, and other problems put before them."
Referring to ongoing U.S.-Iran talks on Tehran's nuclear program, Trump said: "Should Iran decide not to make a Deal, it may be necessary for the United States to use Diego Garcia... in order to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous Regime."
Trump's remarks come despite Washington on Tuesday giving its official backing to London's plan. In a statement, the U.S. Department of State said it "supports the decision of the United Kingdom to proceed with its agreement with Mauritius concerning the Chagos archipelago."
The UK's Foreign Office on Wednesday said the agreement was "crucial to the security of the UK and our key allies, and to keeping the British people safe."
"The agreement we have reached is the only way to guarantee the long-term future of this vital military base," it added.
Starmer has previously said the deal is necessary to safeguard the continued operation of the joint UK-U.S. base on Diego Garcia.
Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos archipelago in the Indian Ocean, has been used as a joint military base by UK and U.S. armed forces for decades.
Under an agreement signed on May 22, 2025, the UK transferred sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, while leasing back Diego Garcia for 99 years to ensure continued military operations by Britain and the United States.
'An utter humiliation'
Trump's position on the issue has shifted in recent months. In January, he described the planned transfer as an "act of great stupidity," but on February 5 said he "understood" that the agreement was the "best" deal Starmer could make.
Asked by the BBC about Trump's latest comments, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday said: "The post should be taken as the policy of the Trump administration, it's coming straight from the horse's mouth."
"When you see it on Truth Social you know it's directly from President Trump, that's the beauty of this president in his transparency and relaying this administration's policies."
Trump's latest remarks have also drawn criticism from opposition figures in the UK.
Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel said Trump's latest comments was "an utter humiliation" for Starmer. "It's time Starmer finally saw sense, U-turned and scrapped this appalling deal altogether."
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey noted Trump's latest change in position showed that the UK needed to pursue closer ties with Europe.
"Trump's endless flip-flopping on the Chagos Islands shows why Starmer's approach is doomed to fail," Davey wrote in a post on X.
"Britain can't rely on the US while Trump is in the White House. It's time to strengthen our ties with allies we can depend on, starting with our neighbours in Europe."
Trump's latest remarks come ahead of planned talks between the United States and Mauritius next week, adding renewed political attention to the future of the strategically located base in the Indian Ocean.