Overview
- The option, reported on Sunday, appears in an internal White House policy paper and was raised to President Donald Trump by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent though it is not described as the administration’s leading course.
- US officials say the idea is driven by security concerns that a transfer of sovereignty could expose Diego Garcia to surveillance or influence tied to Mauritius’s ties with China and Iran and could weaken the base’s role in the Indian Ocean.
- Mauritius issued a formal denial that it has been approached and said its claim to the Chagos Archipelago is non‑negotiable, signalling the proposal lacks a willing selling party at this stage.
- Any US purchase would face major hurdles because Britain currently administers the territory, sovereignty transfer would likely be required before talks with Mauritius, and congressional approval plus complex valuation and legal questions would be needed.
- The idea revives a stalled 2025 plan in which the UK agreed to hand sovereignty to Mauritius while leasing back Diego Garcia; that deal was put on hold after US objections and international rulings have long underpinned Mauritius’s claim, with Chagossian representatives opposing sales that ignore their rights.