White House reportedly considers buying Chagos Islands from Mauritius

The White House is reportedly exploring a plan to acquire the Chagos Islands from Mauritius, according to a report by The Telegraph. This initiative, if pursued, would involve U.S. officials preparing a proposal designed to circumvent the United Kingdom and forge a direct agreement for control over the Diego Garcia atoll.

Reuters has not yet independently verified the details of this report. The British Foreign Office has not immediately responded to requests for comment. The reported plan is described as one of several options being developed by the White House. This document aims to present alternatives to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer regarding the potential transfer of sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius.

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President Donald Trump has consistently advocated that the United Kingdom should not relinquish the British Indian Ocean Territory, which includes our joint U.S.-U.K. military facility on Diego Garcia atoll.

One U.S. official stated, "President Donald Trump has consistently advocated that the United Kingdom should not relinquish the British Indian Ocean Territory, which includes our joint U.S.-U.K. military facility on Diego Garcia atoll." The official further emphasized, "The strategic location of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean makes it a vital and irreplaceable military base of significant importance to United States national security." The U.S. official indicated that the United States regularly engages in discussions with Britain to preserve the islands' capacity to function as a regional security platform.

The British government had previously put on hold an agreement concerning the transfer of sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, which host the U.S.-U.K. airbase Diego Garcia. This decision followed criticism from Donald Trump. The Chagos Islands have been a point of contention, with Mauritius asserting its claim to sovereignty over the archipelago.

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The strategic location of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean makes it a vital and irreplaceable military base of significant importance to United States national security.