‘Do not give away Diego Garcia’: Donald Trump says UK base may be needed if Iran talks fail

US President Donald Trump has urged UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer not to proceed with a proposed arrangement that would see the Chagos Islands returned to Mauritius while retaining the Diego Garcia military base on a long-term lease. Calling the move a “big mistake”, Trump linked the strategically located Indian Ocean island to possible military options if nuclear talks with Iran fail.

The remarks come against the backdrop of renewed negotiations between Washington and Tehran over a high-stakes nuclear deal. Trump suggested that Diego Garcia could play a critical role should the US need to respond to what he described as a potential Iranian threat.

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Trump warns against 99-year lease arrangement

According to a 2025 agreement cited by CNN, the United Kingdom is set to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while maintaining the joint US-UK military base in Diego Garcia under a 99-year lease.

Taking to Truth Social, Trump criticised the arrangement, arguing that “leases are no good when it comes to countries.”

“I have been telling Prime Minister Keir Starmer… that he is making a big mistake by entering a 100-year lease with whoever it is that is ‘claiming’ right, title, and interest to Diego Garcia, strategically located in the Indian Ocean,” Trump wrote.

“Our relationship with the United Kingdom is a strong and powerful one… but Prime Minister Starmer is losing control of this important island by claims of entities never known of before. In our opinion, they are fictitious in nature,” he added.

Trump further said that if Iran does not agree to a deal, the United States might need to use Diego Garcia and the airfield in Fairford.

“Should Iran decide not to make a deal, it may be necessary for the United States to use Diego Garcia… in order to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous regime — an attack that would potentially be made on the United Kingdom, as well as other friendly countries,” he said.

He concluded the post with a direct appeal: “DO NOT GIVE AWAY DIEGO GARCIA.”

Strategic importance of Diego Garcia

Mauritius gained independence from British rule in 1968, while Diego Garcia remained under UK control. In 2019, the International Court of Justice ruled that the UK should end its administration of the Chagos Islands, increasing international pressure on London.

Under the 2025 agreement, the UK agreed to return the islands to Mauritius while retaining the Diego Garcia base on a long-term lease.

The base has long been regarded as strategically significant for US and UK military operations in the Indian Ocean region.

Iran nuclear talks: Diplomacy first, says White House

Trump’s remarks come as Washington continues discussions with Tehran over reviving a nuclear framework. Earlier on Wednesday (local time), White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said diplomacy remains the first option.

“There are arguments one can make for a strike against Iran… The President has always been clear that with Iran or any other country, diplomacy is the first option, and Iran would be wise to make a deal with President Trump,” Leavitt told reporters.

She added that while some progress had been made in recent talks in Geneva, the two sides remain “far apart” on key issues. “We expect the Iranians to come back with the details in the next couple of weeks. The President will continue to watch how this plays out,” she said.

The current negotiations follow previous rounds held in April 2025. The original Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed in 2015, capped Iran’s uranium enrichment at 3.67 per cent and reduced its stockpile to 300 kilograms. The agreement collapsed in 2018 after Trump withdrew the United States from the deal.

As nuclear diplomacy hangs in the balance, Diego Garcia has re-emerged as a strategic flashpoint in the evolving US-UK-Iran equation.