UK forced to shelve legislation to return Chagos Islands to Mauritius
UK puts Chagos Islands handover deal on hold after Trump withdraws support
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The UK government has shelved legislation to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius due to the US withdrawing its support. The UK aimed to cede sovereignty to Mauritius while leasing Diego Garcia, the largest island and site of a joint US-UK military base, for 99 years. The US's change of heart is reportedly linked to disagreements over the use of UK airbases in relation to Iran, which recently struck the Diego Garcia base. Without US backing, the UK cannot proceed with the agreement, which is considered crucial for the long-term operational security of the base. A new Chagos bill is not expected in the upcoming parliamentary agenda.
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AI-ExtractedThe US had not formally exchanged letters to amend a 1966 British-American treaty on the islands.
Under the deal, the UK would cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
Diego Garcia is a key strategic military asset for both the UK and the US.
UK forced to shelve legislation to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after the US dropped its support.
Trump changed his mind on supporting the deal because the UK would not permit its airbases to be used for a pre-emptive US strike on Iran.
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