Greenland Next? Trump Eyes Indian Ocean's Chagos Islands

The United States is reportedly exploring the acquisition of the Chagos Archipelago, a strategically vital territory in the Indian Ocean, from Mauritius. The U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Beranck is said to have presented a plan to President Donald Trump for the purchase, though it is not considered the sole or most likely option.

The archipelago, which includes Diego Garcia island hosting a joint U.S.-UK air base, is a critical hub for military operations in the Middle East and Africa. Some U.S. officials are concerned about Mauritius's deepening relationship with China, fearing that increased Mauritian control over the islands could lead to Chinese surveillance or restrictions on the U.S. base.

This potential U.S. interest arises amid a long-standing sovereignty dispute between the UK and Mauritius. The UK separated the Chagos Archipelago in 1965, three years before Mauritius gained independence, and established the military base on Diego Garcia. However, the International Court of Justice ruled in 2019 that the UK's claim was unlawful, and the UN General Assembly has since called for the UK's withdrawal.

In a complex arrangement, the UK agreed last year to return sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius. In exchange, Mauritius will lease the territory back to the UK for 99 years for approximately $101 million annually, ostensibly to maintain British control over the military base. President Trump, who initially supported the handover, has since expressed reservations, calling the transfer "very foolish" and asserting U.S. rights to bolster its military presence on Diego Garcia if the lease agreement is threatened.