Share current article via Email Share current article via Facebook Share current article via Twitter Share current article via LinkedInAn undated file photo shows Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos archipelago and site of a major US military base. File Photo: REUTERSBritain’s government said on Saturday it had put on hold its deal to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands — home to the US-British Diego Garcia air base — which has been criticised by President Donald Trump. Under the deal, Britain would retain control of the strategically important military base on Diego Garcia on a 99-year lease that preserves US operations there. A British government spokesperson said ensuring the long-term operational security of Diego Garcia would remain a priority. Britain forcibly displaced up to 2,000 indigenous Chagossians in the late 1960s and 1970s to establish the base on the Diego Garcia atoll.

Source: The Times April 11, 2026 16:58 UTC