WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 — U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday called on British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to maintain control of Diego Garcia, arguing that the strategically located island territory is critical to deterring potential aggression from Iran.
In a post on Truth Social dated Feb. 18, Trump warned that Diego Garcia could play a key role in responding to threats should negotiations with Tehran fail.
“Should Iran decide not to make a Deal, it may be necessary for the United States to use Diego Garcia and the Airfield located in Fairford, in order to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous Regime,” Trump wrote.
He added that such an attack could potentially target the United Kingdom and other allied nations.
Diego Garcia, part of the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, has operated as a joint U.S.-UK military hub since an agreement between the two nations in the 1960s.
Last year, the United Kingdom reached an agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius. Under the terms of the deal, the UK would retain operational control of the joint military base on Diego Garcia for at least 99 years, with an option to extend the lease for an additional 40 years.
Trump criticized the arrangement, urging Starmer not to relinquish control of the island.
“Prime Minister Starmer should not lose control, for any reason, of Diego Garcia, by entering a tenuous, at best, 100 Year Lease,” Trump wrote.
The president’s remarks came one day after the U.S. State Department expressed support for the UK’s decision to proceed with its agreement with Mauritius regarding the archipelago.
When asked about the apparent discrepancy during a White House press briefing Wednesday, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s social media post reflects official administration policy.
“The post should be taken as the policy of the Trump administration. It’s coming straight from the horse’s mouth,” Leavitt said, adding that the president would have the final word on the matter.
While Trump has previously criticized the Chagos agreement, Tuesday’s statement marked the first time he explicitly linked the island’s strategic importance to ongoing negotiations with Iran.
U.S. and Iranian negotiators met this week in Geneva, Switzerland, as the administration presses Tehran for new security commitments.
The discussions are primarily focused on Iran’s nuclear program, though missile development and Tehran’s support for designated terrorist organizations are also under consideration.
In a Feb. 17 interview with Fox News, Vice President JD Vance said “everything is on the table” in the negotiations, but emphasized that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon remains the administration’s central objective.
“That is the red line the president of the United States has consistently set,” Vance said.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Leavitt said some progress had been made in the latest round of talks but acknowledged significant gaps remain.
“We’re still very far apart on some issues,” she said. “I believe the Iranians are expected to come back to us with some more detail in the next couple of weeks, and so the president will continue to watch how this plays out.”
