UK Reviews Chagos Deal After Trump's UN Criticism

The UK is reviewing its agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, the defence secretary said, after US President Donald Trump criticised the deal at the United Nations.

Wes Streeting said the government is looking again at the arrangement following Mr Trump’s comments at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, when he described the proposal as “terrible”.

Under the original terms, the UK would cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. In return, the UK would make an average payment of £101m ($136m) per year to lease back a joint UK-US military base on the islands.

The base is valued for its strategic position in the Indian Ocean. The agreement also reflects the UK and US interest in retaining access to a site they regard as important for defence planning and operations.

Streeting said the review is being carried out because the United States no longer backs the deal as currently drafted. He pointed to Mr Trump’s latest remarks as confirmation that the US administration’s position has not shifted.

Defence Secretary Says Review Is Needed

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Streeting said the government has to reconsider the arrangement because Washington does not support it. He added that the US president’s criticism, while not necessarily new, underlined that Mr Trump’s stance on the agreement remains unchanged.

Streeting said this means ministers must carry out further work with the US, including with Mr Trump and his administration, to find a version of the deal that the United States can support.

Background On The Original Deal

The agreement was reached under Sir Keir Starmer and set out a two-part framework: a sovereignty transfer to Mauritius and continued UK and US military use through a leaseback arrangement.

As part of the deal, the UK would pay Mauritius an average of £101m per year, on top of the sovereignty change. The payment is tied to the continued operation of the joint military base.

The government’s approach sought to balance the transfer of territory with an ongoing security presence at a location that both countries have treated as strategically significant.

April Pause After US Support Withdrawn

In April, the government paused the deal indefinitely. Streeting said the pause reflected the fact that Mr Trump pulled support for the agreement at that time.

The latest UN comments have now prompted the UK to re-examine the arrangement, with ministers seeking to address the reasons for US opposition to the deal in its current form.

Work With US Allies On A New Form

Streeting’s comments indicated that the UK’s next steps will focus on discussion with American allies. He said ministers must continue engagement with the Trump administration to reach a version that can attract US backing.

If a revised agreement is developed, it would still need to align with the original structure of sovereignty transfer to Mauritius and the leaseback of the joint military base, while responding to the concerns raised by Washington.

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23 September 2026