The White House is considering an extraordinary proposal to directly purchase the Chagos Islands from Mauritius, bypassing the United Kingdom entirely, according to a report in The Telegraph.
US officials have reportedly drafted a plan that would allow Washington to secure long‑term control of Diego Garcia, the strategically vital atoll that hosts a major joint US‑UK military base in the Indian Ocean. The proposal is one of several options being prepared as alternatives to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer proceeding with a sovereignty‑transfer agreement that would return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
A US official told Reuters that President Donald Trump has been “consistent” in opposing any move by the UK to relinquish the British Indian Ocean Territory. “Diego Garcia’s strategic location in the Indian Ocean makes it a vital and indispensable military installation,” the official said, adding that Washington remains in regular talks with London to safeguard the base’s future.
The UK government paused its sovereignty‑transfer negotiations in April after Trump publicly criticised the plan, calling it a “big mistake.” British officials have since argued that maintaining operational control of Diego Garcia is essential to national security and to preventing adversaries from gaining influence in the region.
“The government inherited a situation where UK control over the military base on Diego Garcia was under threat,” a spokesperson said. “Diego Garcia is a key strategic military asset for both the UK and the US, which has protected our shared security for nearly 60 years.”
The Chagos Islands dispute has long been a geopolitical flashpoint, but the possibility of a direct US purchase marks a dramatic escalation one that could reshape alliances and strategic calculations across the Indo‑Pacific.
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