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UK Reopens Talks With White House as Trump Puts Chagos Transfer in Jeopardy

US approval has become the pivotal test for the sovereignty transfer.

Overview

  • Keir Starmer said officials raised the issue with the White House late last week and into this week to keep the leaseback of Diego Garcia on track.
  • The prime minister maintained that Trump’s administration previously cleared and publicly endorsed the plan after an agency-level review.
  • The House of Lords postponed scrutiny after Conservatives proposed an amendment citing the 1966 UKUS treaty that affirms British sovereignty over the islands.
  • Opponents including Chagossian representatives and senior Conservatives have met Republican senators and US officials to urge rejection of the deal.
  • Mauritius deputy prime minister Paul Bérenger said nuclear weapons storage would be prohibited at Diego Garcia, sharpening concerns about future operational limits.