The United Kingdom has suspended legislation that would have returned sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, bowing to sustained opposition from US President Donald Trump. A bill outlining the transfer has been dropped from the next parliamentary agenda, with a Downing Street spokesperson confirming that London will not proceed without Washington's backing. "We have always said we would only proceed with the deal if it has US support," the spokesperson stated.
The Chagos archipelago, a remote chain of more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean, has been under British control since 1814. At the heart of the dispute is Diego Garcia, the largest island and home to a major joint US-UK military base that has supported operations in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. In May 2025, London and Port Louis announced a landmark agreement under which Britain would cede full sovereignty to Mauritius while retaining a 99-year lease on Diego Garcia to preserve the base's operations. The deal was widely seen as a way to resolve a long-standing colonial dispute while safeguarding strategic military interests.
Trump, however, rejected the arrangement almost immediately after taking office, calling it an "act of great stupidity" and accusing Britain of giving away the islands "without reason." He briefly appeared to soften his stance in February following a phone call with Prime Minister Keir Starmer, telling reporters Starmer had made "the best deal he could make" — only to reverse course again weeks later, warning on Truth Social that the prime minister was making "a big mistake" and that ceding the islands would be "a blight on our great ally." Under the terms of any final agreement, Washington must formally approve the transfer, giving the US an effective veto over the deal.
The British government insists it remains committed to the agreement in principle. "Diego Garcia is a key strategic military asset for both the UK and the US. Ensuring its long-term operational security is and will continue to be our priority — it is the entire reason for the deal," Downing Street said. Starmer has indicated he will continue to work to bring the Americans on board, though the timeline for any resolution is unclear.
The pause adds fresh strain to an already fraught relationship between London and Washington. The two governments have clashed in recent months over Britain's refusal to allow US forces to use British air bases for strikes on Iran, and earlier this year Starmer publicly criticised US plans regarding Greenland. For Chagossians — around 1,500 of whom were forcibly expelled from the islands in the 1960s and 1970s to make way for the military base — the delay represents yet another setback to a process the International Court of Justice recommended in 2019. The question of who ultimately controls one of the most strategically sensitive locations in the Indo-Pacific now appears firmly entangled in the broader turbulence of transatlantic relations.