The US emphasizes the strategic importance of the Diego Garcia base, seeking to maintain its viability as a regional security platform. This comes amid discussions with Britain about sovereignty transfer to Mauritius and concerns that relinquishing control could benefit Beijing.
The US considers purchasing the Chagos Islands directly from Mauritius to secure control of the Diego Garcia military base, bypassing the UK amid a sovereignty dispute.
The White House is exploring a proposal to purchase the Chagos Islands from Mauritius, potentially derailing the UK's plan to transfer sovereignty while retaining a lease over the strategic Diego Garcia military base, amid US concerns over security risks due to Mauritius' ties with China and Iran.
A Chagossian delegation in the UK calls for stalled legislation to transfer the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, citing human rights and adherence to international law, after the UK's claim was deemed unlawful by the ICJ in 2019.
The UK government has halted legislation to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after the US withdrew its support for the deal, rendering the treaty impossible to finalize at the political level.
The UK has paused its plan to transfer the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, citing the need for US support. The deal, which would have allowed continued UK-US military control of the Diego Garcia base, faced opposition from the US and UK Conservatives.
