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Washington in ‘active talks’ to secure Diego Garcia base as White House weighs options, including making an offer to Mauritius
Britain agreed last year to transfer sovereignty of the Indian Ocean archipelago, including the Diego Garcia base, to Mauritius in an agreement that would allow continued British and American use of the facility.
Without denying a potential purchase plan, the official described Diego Garcia as a “vital and indispensable military installation of significant importance” to US national security, saying “we remain in regular discussions with our British allies as we work together to preserve the viability” of the site as a “regional security platform”.
The official added that Trump had been consistent in his position that Britain should not “give away the British Indian Ocean Territory, which includes our joint US-UK military facility on the Diego Garcia atoll”.
The stance underscores Washington’s focus on retaining control of a strategic military foothold amid intensifying geopolitical competition in the Indian Ocean. Trump’s supporters have described the transfer agreement with Mauritius as a “gift to Beijing”.