Overview
- Hours after the State Department reaffirmed support for the UK–Mauritius agreement and sought a separate US-UK guarantee on base access, President Trump urged Keir Starmer to halt the transfer.
- Trump’s Truth Social post warned the Diego Garcia base may be needed for potential US action against Iran and cited RAF Fairford, declaring, "DO NOT GIVE AWAY DIEGO GARCIA!"
- The White House press secretary said the post should be treated as the administration’s policy, undercutting the department’s public endorsement of the deal.
- Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office defended the plan as the only way to secure the base’s long‑term future and safeguard UK and allied security.
- UK legislation enabling the sovereignty transfer remains before Parliament after setbacks in the House of Lords, with Conservative and Reform UK figures lobbying against a lease arrangement reported at about £3.4 billion to £35 billion over a century.