UK Defence Secretary Says Chagos Islands Deal Cannot Proceed Without US Support

UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has said that a deal transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius "can't go ahead without US support," confirming that annual payments worth at least £120 million to Mauritius have been placed on hold, according to the Guardian.

The agreement, negotiated by the UK government to resolve a long-running sovereignty dispute over the Indian Ocean archipelago, would see Britain retain control of the Diego Garcia military base — a strategically important site jointly operated with the United States — while transferring sovereignty of the wider Chagos Islands to Mauritius in exchange for annual payments.

Streeting said the payments would not be made "at this stage" as the government reconsiders the deal following reported reluctance from US President Donald Trump to back the agreement. The base on Diego Garcia has long served as a key strategic asset for both British and American military operations in the Indian Ocean region.

The pause reflects the extent to which the Chagos deal depends on continued US backing, given the shared use of the Diego Garcia facility by British and American forces.

Mauritius has long claimed sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, from which Britain removed the local Chagossian population decades ago to establish the military base. The dispute has drawn international criticism, including a 2019 finding from the International Court of Justice that the UK's continued administration of the islands was unlawful.

It remains unclear how long the government's review will take or what conditions it is seeking from Washington before proceeding with the payments and the broader agreement.