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Earlier this year, President Donald Trump criticized the proposed agreement to transfer control of the Chagos Islands, which includes the strategically vital Diego Garcia military base, from the United Kingdom to Mauritius. He labeled the move as an “act of great stupidity.” However, after discussions with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, President Trump reluctantly expressed his support for the deal, while underscoring the importance of the military base and affirming Washington’s right to safeguard Diego Garcia if required.
Recently, President Trump has reiterated his firm opposition to the deal. In a statement shared on Truth Social on Wednesday, he emphasized the strategic value of Diego Garcia to U.S. national security and regional stability.
According to President Trump, Diego Garcia is crucial for the United States to exert influence across the Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. The base has been pivotal in launching significant U.S. military operations in the Middle East and is anticipated to be essential in any potential conflict with Iran. Additionally, it serves as a counterbalance to China’s maritime ambitions in the region.
President Trump criticized the Labour-supported Chagos deal as detrimental, urging its cancellation. He warned that proceeding with the agreement would represent a substantial strategic setback for both the United States and the United Kingdom, with serious implications for global security. He argued that the only beneficiaries would be Mauritius, which has never managed the islands independently, and China, which could gain an advantage from the shift in control.
“DO NOT GIVE AWAY DIEGO GARCIA!” pic.twitter.com/6mR0pavXND
— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) February 18, 2026
Diego Garcia is critical to U.S. national security and regional stability. It allows Washington to project power in the Pacific, the Middle East, and throughout Africa. Diego Garcia has been used to launch major U.S. military operations in the Middle East and would play a key role in a campaign against Iran. It also acts as a check on China’s westward maritime expansion.
There’s no other way to put it: The Labour-backed Chagos deal is awful and must be scrapped. Implementing it would amount to a major strategic loss for the U.S. and the U.K., with far-reaching consequences for the free world, and a win for Mauritius — a country that has never administered the islands independently — and, more importantly, China.