The United Kingdom is reviewing its agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, following recent criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump. Defense Secretary Wes Streeting confirmed the review, stating that the deal, as currently drafted, lacks U.S. support.

This development comes after President Trump described the deal as "terrible" at the United Nations General Assembly. The original agreement, reached under former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, proposed the UK cede sovereignty to Mauritius while leasing back the strategically vital military base on Diego Garcia for joint UK-U.S. use. The annual lease payment was projected to average $136 million.

Streeting emphasized the need for "long-term certainty for the base on Diego Garcia," the largest island in the Chagos archipelago. He noted that successive UK prime ministers have expressed concern that ongoing legal challenges by Mauritius, which argues it was illegally forced to cede the islands in 1965, could jeopardize the base's security. "We have to do more work with our American allies, with President Trump and his administration, to get the deal to a place where we can support it," Streeting told BBC Breakfast.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who met with President Trump at the UN, acknowledged inheriting the situation and the necessity of finding a resolution. "It's critical to safeguard the future of the base, and that matters to us for security reasons, but also clearly to the United States as well," Burnham stated. He added that his government would "work hard to find" a resolution between the involved parties.

The deal, initially agreed upon in May 2025, saw the UK commit to handing over sovereignty but required a 99-year lease for the Diego Garcia base. The total value of the lease was estimated at £3.4 billion. However, the agreement faced significant criticism, with opponents suggesting the inflation-adjusted cost could reach £35 billion and warning of potential risks related to Chinese influence.

Streeting confirmed that no payments would be made to Mauritius while the review is ongoing. The pause on the deal in April occurred after President Trump withdrew his support, leading to the indefinite suspension of parliamentary proceedings on the handover bill.

Mauritius has been pursuing a legal claim that the Chagos Islands were illegally detached from its territory in 1965. The UK, alongside the U.S., has historically maintained the importance of the base on Diego Garcia for regional security and global operations.

Details regarding the revised terms or timelines for a potential new agreement remain unclear, with the focus now on securing U.S. backing and ensuring the operational continuity of the critical military facility.