US weighs Chagos Islands deal amid Diego Garcia security talks

US officials are reportedly considering options to strike a deal over the Chagos Islands that would bypass the United Kingdom and secure the future of Diego Garcia, the joint US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean. The discussions come as Washington weighs wider regional security concerns linked to the conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran. The proposal is said to be one of several under consideration by the White House.

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According to the supplied material, the latest option was put forward by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and presented to President Donald Trump. It is not believed to be the preferred option at this stage. The reported plan would offer an alternative to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's proposal to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

A US official quoted in the material said Trump has consistently opposed the UK giving up control of the territory. Diego Garcia is described in the supplied rows as a strategically important installation that can support long-range military operations. The base is said to be around 3,800 kilometres from Iran, which helps explain why it remains central to current security planning.

The material also says the US and UK have been discussing how to ensure the island remains an important regional security base for both countries since the 1970s. In April, the UK government paused its agreement to transfer sovereignty to Mauritius after criticism from Trump. The issue matters because it sits at the intersection of sovereignty, military access and wider Middle East tensions.

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Mauritius claims sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, while the UK has retained control of the territory and the US has relied on Diego Garcia for operations in the region. Any change to the island's status could affect how Washington and London manage one of their most significant shared military assets in the Indian Ocean. The current debate also follows earlier friction over the use of the base.

In March, the UK allowed the US to launch strikes on Iran from Diego Garcia, and Trump later criticised the UK for approving the operation too slowly. The supplied material also says Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned Starmer that allowing UK bases to be used against Iran could put British lives at risk. That warning underlines how the base has become part of the broader strategic contest around Iran.

What remains unclear is whether the proposal to bypass the UK will advance, or whether the White House will settle on another option. It is also not clear how Mauritius would respond to any direct US approach, or whether the UK pause on the transfer plan will be extended. The next developments to watch are any formal US decision, further UK-Mauritius talks and whether Diego Garcia's status changes in the coming weeks.

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