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Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump on Wednesday criticized the UK's plan to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and lease back an important military base.
He said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was making a big mistake by entering into a lease on the Indian Ocean Chagos archipelago that hosts the Diego Garcia joint air base.
Under a 2025 agreement, Britain will transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while retaining control of the strategically important Diego Garcia base under a 99-year lease.
"Do not give away Diego Garcia," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social, saying the base could be called upon in any future military operation to "eradicate a potential attack" from Iran.
"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 with whoever it is that is 'claiming' Right, Title, and Interest to Diego Garcia," he added.
This comes despite Washington on Tuesday giving its official backing to London's plan to cede sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius.
In response to Trump, the UK Foreign Office said the Chagos Islands deal was "crucial to the security of the UK and our key allies, and to keeping the British people safe".
Responding to Trump's latest remarks, a British foreign office spokesperson said the deal was "crucial to the security of the UK and our key allies".
"The agreement we have reached is the only way to guarantee the long-term future of this vital military base," the statement added.
Asked about Trump's latest comments, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt 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 comments mark the latest in an Anglo-American diplomatic rollercoaster over the deal.
Britain has said it had no choice but to make a deal after international court decisions threatened its ability to maintain the base under previous arrangements.
Washington last year gave its blessing to the agreement, but in January Trump described it as an act of "great stupidity". Earlier in February he then said he understood the deal was the best Starmer could make, but added he would retain the right to "militarily secure" the base if needed.
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On Tuesday the US State Department had issued a statement which stated its backing for the deal.
"The United States supports the decision of the United Kingdom to proceed with its agreement with Mauritius concerning the Chagos archipelago," the statement said, announcing talks between the US and Mauritius next week.
Starmer has previously insisted the deal is necessary to protect the continued operation of the base, amid previous attempts from Mauritius to dispute the legality of British sovereignty over the islands.
Diego Garcia is the largest island in the archipelago, and is used as a joint military base by the UK and US armed forces.
Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said Trump's latest comments was "an utter humiliation" for Starmer.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said 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."
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, an outspoken critic of the UK handover plan, praised Trump's criticism of London's handling of the issue.
"Keir Starmer risks alienating our most important ally by giving away the Chagos Islands, the worst deal in British history," he wrote on X.
"President Trump is right to say the Prime Minister is making a big mistake. Starmer must cancel this deal."
The Chagos Islands – officially known as the British Indian Ocean Territory – are located about 5,799 miles (9,332km) south-east of the UK and about 1,250 miles north-east of Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean.
The islands have been under British control since 1814 and were bought by the government for £3m, which led to the establishment of the islands as an overseas territory in 1965.
But Mauritius has long argued that it was illegally forced to give the islands away as part of a deal to gain independence. — Agencies
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