Donald Trump is reportedly considering turning his attention to the Chagos Islands after abandoning his unsuccessful attempts to acquire Greenland, as per recent reports.
The sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, controlled by the UK, has been a topic of ongoing discussions between the UK government and Mauritius. A deal to transfer sovereignty was paused earlier this year after the US withdrew its support. The archipelago is home to Diego Garcia, a joint UK-US military base housing highly classified facilities, facing strategic threats from China.
Reports suggest that Trump is exploring the possibility of purchasing the Chagos Islands for the US to move past the failed Greenland deal, which encountered strong opposition from NATO allies earlier this year.
The plan for Chagos could involve bypassing the UK entirely. A proposal, reportedly crafted by the White House and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, entails declaring the islands sovereign and not part of the British Indian Ocean Territory, enabling the US to directly negotiate a purchase with Mauritius.
US officials are concerned that if Mauritius gains control of the archipelago, it could lead to maritime espionage and jeopardize the security of the Diego Garcia base.
It remains uncertain whether Mauritius, having previously leased the islands to Britain for 99 years before the US withdrew from the agreement, would entertain an American offer. Experts estimate that acquiring the territory could cost approximately $20 billion (£15 billion).
The potential purchase comes at a time of increasing worries about Chinese and Iranian influence in the Indian Ocean, with the base being targeted by ballistic missiles from Tehran in a recent conflict. One missile reportedly failed in flight and crashed, while the second was successfully intercepted by an SM-3 missile launched from a US warship.
Ben Judah, a former special advisor to David Lammy when he served as foreign secretary, highlighted the geopolitical importance of Diego Garcia and the Chagos Islands, emphasizing the significance of the base’s sensitive facilities to Britain’s global activities.
