UK Suspends Chagos Islands Handover After Trump Withdraws Support

Deal on Ice

Britain has put its Chagos Islands handover deal on indefinite hold after U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew support.

The British government acknowledged that legislation has run out of time in Parliament.

Trump initially backed the deal but reversed course in January, calling it an act of GREAT STUPIDITY.

The UK government said it would only proceed with the deal if it has U.S. support.

Simon McDonald told the BBC that when the president of the United States is openly hostile, the government has to rethink.

The Chagos Islands have been under British control since 1814.

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Strained US-UK Relations

The collapse of the Chagos deal comes amid worsening relations between Starmer's government and the Trump administration. Trump had heavily criticized Starmer over his handling of the Iran war. Starmer initially blocked American planes but later agreed to let the U.S. use bases to strike missile sites.

Trump disparaged the United States' NATO allies, calling Starmer not Winston Churchill. The Guardian reported that Trump changed his mind because the UK would not permit pre-emptive strikes. The alliance between Washington and London has come under strain.

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Opposition and Islanders

The deal has faced opposition from Britain's Conservative Party and Reform UK. Kemi Badenoch called the time taken to drop the bill another damning indictment. A portion of the Chagossian community based in the UK announced the creation of an exile government.

The Mauritian government insists the archipelago has always been an indivisible part of the national territory. An estimated 10,000 displaced Chagossians now live primarily in Britain, Mauritius, and the Seychelles.

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Mauritius Vows to Persist

Mauritius Foreign Minister vowed to spare no effort to reclaim the Chagos Islands. Mauritius Attorney General said the UK and the U.S. would need to find common ground. The British government said it would continue to engage with the U.S. and Mauritius.

The deal was intended to comply with international law after the 2019 ICJ found the UK unlawfully separated the islands. The military base on Diego Garcia was to be leased back to Britain for 99 years.

Reporting for this sectionThe New Indian ExpressAssociated Press