US Says It Supports UK Chagos Islands Deal for Security

Published: 18 February 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

The United States government has confirmed that it supports a controversial agreement under which the United Kingdom will transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands — a strategically vital chain of islands in the Indian Ocean — to Mauritius, even as political tensions and criticism continue to swirl around the plan. Washington says it backs the deal’s implementation, especially arrangements to secure the long-term operation of a joint US–UK military base on Diego Garcia, which both countries consider critical for regional defence.

Under the agreement, first reached in May 2025, the UK will cede control of the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius but retain use of Diego Garcia under a 99-year lease, ensuring continued access for American and British forces. The base is seen as a cornerstone of Western military presence in the Indian Ocean, supporting rapid deployment and surveillance across a vast strategic region.

In a statement, the US State Department said it is preparing to hold security talks in Port Louis, Mauritius, to discuss how best to implement security arrangements for the base and protect its long-term operations following the transfer. Officials said these discussions underscore Washington’s commitment to strong defence cooperation with both the UK and Mauritius.

The announcement of support comes amid a backdrop of political debate in both the US and UK. While previous US administrations and officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, had welcomed the agreement as historic and beneficial to shared security interests, President Donald Trump — who initially supported the plan — later criticised it in January, calling it an “act of great stupidity” on social media. However, more recent comments from the White House have reiterated Washington’s backing of the UK-Mauritius deal ahead of ongoing implementation talks.

Critics have argued the transfer raises legal and security questions — including concerns about the rights of displaced Chagossians who were forcibly removed from the islands in the 1960s and about long-term strategic access to Diego Garcia if political conditions change. Advocates of the deal, however, say it resolves a decades-long sovereignty dispute while protecting Western strategic interests and strengthening relations with Mauritius.

As security talks in Mauritius approach later this month, Washington’s public expression of support helps reassure partners that the Chagos agreement remains viable, even as political rhetoric and international pressure continue to shape the debate.

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