The White House has drafted a plan to buy the Chagos Islands from Mauritius, according to a report by the Telegraph on Sunday.
The report stated that U.S officials have drawn up a proposal to bypass the United Kingdom and make a deal to take over the control of Diego Garcia, which houses a joint U.S-U.K air base.
The Telegraph, citing sources, reported that while purchasing the Chagos Islands is not a priority for the government, the idea was raised with U.S Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who then raised it with U.S President Donald Trump. A U.S official told the outlet that the White House was in regular conversation with Downing Street about securing the future of Diego Garcia.
An official confirmation of the report is still pending.
The U.K Foreign Office also did not respond to a request for comment.
As per the report, the proposal aims to provide alternatives to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer ceding sovereignity to the archipelago to Mauritius. Trump had criticised Starmer’s move, calling the deal a “big mistake” in February. Mauritius’ close relations with Iran and China also add to the United States’ apprehension about the current agreement.
A U.S official told Reuters, “President Trump has been consistent in his position that the United Kingdom should not give away the British Indian Ocean Territory, which includes our joint U.S.-U.K. military facility on the Diego Garcia atoll.”
The official further added, “Diego Garcia’s strategic location in the Indian Ocean makes it a vital and indispensable military installation of significant importance to the national security of the United States.”
According to the official, the United States remains in regular discussions with Britain to preserve the archipelago’s viability as a regional security platform.
The British government has currently put the deal to cede sovereignity of the islands on hold.
