London: US President Donald Trump urged the United Kingdom on Wednesday not to relinquish control of Diego Garcia, warning that America may need the island and a British airfield if Iran refuses to make a deal.
According to Anadolu Agency, Trump expressed his concerns on his social media platform, Truth Social, stating that if Iran decides against making a deal, the United States might need to utilize Diego Garcia and the Airfield located in Fairford to counteract a potential attack by what he described as a “highly unstable and dangerous regime.” He emphasized that such an attack could be directed at the UK and other allied nations.
Trump criticized UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer for considering a lease agreement, arguing that leases are inappropriate for countries and cautioning that the UK is making a significant error. He urged Prime Minister Starmer not to lose control of Diego Garcia by entering into what he termed a “tenuous, at best, 100 Year Lease.”
The US president further claimed that Britain is losing control of the strategically vital Indian Ocean island due to “claims of entities never known of before,” which he labeled as fictitious. He warned that allowing the island to be taken away would tarnish Britain’s reputation as a “Great Ally.”
Trump reassured that America is prepared to stand by Britain but insisted that the UK must remain robust “in the face of wokeism, and other problems put before them.” He concluded his statement by advising against the relinquishment of Diego Garcia.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the president’s post should be regarded as the official policy of the Trump administration. Diego Garcia, the largest island of the Chagos Archipelago, has served as a joint UK-US military base since the 1970s. A treaty signed in May transfers sovereignty from Britain to Mauritius, with a provision that the military base remains under British control for at least 99 years.
The warning from Trump comes amid escalating US-Iran tensions and a notable increase in American military presence in the Middle East as diplomatic negotiations continue. Trump nearly ordered another strike earlier in January due to Tehran’s crackdown on protesters; however, he refrained from doing so after Iran halted the execution of demonstrators.
